A Serpent's Lament
by Miracles79
Summary: "All lives end, all hearts are broken. Caring is not an advantage." Throughout her entire life Pansy has been forced to live by these words. Whenever she sought happiness it would be stripped from her or offered in such a way that it would appear worthless. And now, now that she carries a secret which could spell the end of the wizarding world, who can she turn to?
1. Chapter 1: The Dark Lord

Harry Potter

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The Serpent's Lament

By Miracles79

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Chapter 1: The Dark Lord's plan

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Disclaimer: The characters used in this Fan Fic are owned by JK Rowling and Warner Brother Studios (I think?) and are merely used in appreciation of the original author's incredible work.

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She had to get away, no compromises were to be made and no half-hearted appeals for leniency would ever be heard. They were coming. She needed to escape; no it was far more important than that… she had to escape.

Regrettably, desperation amplified the sounds of her flight which were shortly accompanied by the sounds of heavy, almost erratic breathing, and frantic footsteps leading her away from the place she had always dreamed of calling home.

Home…

That was why she was here, within the constricting silence of her surroundings and the grotesquely shaped trees, which swayed from the lashings of the torrid rainstorm overhead, but despite this very fact she preceded forward never looking back for fear of what she might see.

In the past, she had always been a welcome visitor to these grounds and the Mansion that rested upon its summit but now circumstances had changed, and not for the better. But that was not the only thing that had changed; it seemed as if the forest around her had also changed. As if some powerful force had laid claim to these lands, tainting it to such an extent that it was long past salvation.

But despite the loss of familiarity, and the loss of a home which she had no right to call her own, she never gave in to her fear. Despite her exhaustion, the terror which consumed her fragile mind and the blood which dripped from her forehead; her legs carried her onward, towards an unknown destination, her muscles burning from the exertion of her uninterrupted escape.

Brushing past numerous sharp leaves and stumbling over outstretched tree vines, she continued on with freshly made scars and newly formed bruises. However the frequent interruptions and the vines attempts to cage her, or at least impede her progress, confirmed one thing; the forest around her was coming to life and herding her as if she were a stray sheep. This was very old sorcery, and as dark and manipulative as the people who were chasing her.

She heard their voices long before they approached the area where she currently lay hidden, hurriedly concealing herself behind an over turned tree to shield herself from her pursuers. She couldn't use magic because it was far too dangerous, she feared that they would find her if she used even the simplest spell such was their power over her. Their footsteps almost seemed to circle around her but it was becoming increasingly hard to pin point their location, especially since her senses were filled with the sounds of her troubled heart.

"We know you're here. Did you really think you could escape from us child?"

That voice was eerily familiar and could have only have belonged to Gibbon, the famed death eater who showed relentless brutality to the weak and pitiful but fear and trepidation to the more powerful; especially when it came to one Albus Dumbledore.

"Come back with us child, come back to Malfoy Manor and all will be forgiven."

This time Yaxley spoke with a far more chilling tone of voice, the underlying message of his statement cutting through her as she knew the obvious truth behind it. Another death eater circled where she laid, the frightening mask turning around its vicinity for even the smallest sign of its intended prey.

"It doesn't have to be like this Pansy. Be reasonable now, you have nowhere to run and nobody to hide you. Show yourself now and all will be forgiven."

The sickening voice mocked her, the words seeming hopeful and almost charitable but the tone giving off its real intentions.

And here she was, Pansy Parkinson. The willing supporter of he-who-must-not-be-named doing everything in her power to disassociate herself from a group she had once talked of with great reverence.

Taking a moment in the ample silence, Pansy mentally calmed her erratic breathing, hoping the effect would also work in calming her heart. Leaning further into the collapsed tree, Pansy used the momentary seclusion in preparation for another desperate attempt to outrun her powerful pursuers.

But just as she was about to make a break for it, and risk being spotted by the approaching death eaters, a new voice entered the fray… a voice which was startlingly familiar and at one time would have been greatly welcomed whether in her time of need or in her moments of contentment. In Pansy's eyes, she had always considered him as something of a surrogate father even though her real father still lived, and that man's name was Lucius Malfoy.

"Pansy, I must say I am very disappointed in you. You should fell proud, no less honoured to have been chosen. The Dark Lord has offered you a most wonderful gift, return now and all will be forgiven," Lucius stated, no word of a lie slipping from his lips as he carefully surveyed the area for any sign of his son's troublesome fiancé.

For the first time since she had escaped, and listened to the uncaring and untrustworthy voices of **his** companions, Pansy knew he spoke the truth. Lucius would make sure no harm would come to her but not out of some sense of loyalty or actual care but because of image. After all, it would look very bad for his family if a future member of the Malfoy family was knowingly disobeying his express orders.

", The Dark Lord need not know of your moment of indiscretion. Returns to us, Pansy… you wouldn't want to upset your fiancé now would you?"

And there was the clincher; none of this had anything to do with her safety but all to do with Draco Malfoy. The man she had willingly grown to love and care for despite the hopelessness of their situation. At one point Pansy had even deluded herself into believing that this feeling could have been mutual but any chance of that had been violently torn apart the moment he, Draco Malfoy, had become a death eater. That was when everything changed.

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Draco had always been cruel by his own very nature, his less than honourable intentions for one Harry Potter and his two far less impressive friends was evidence of this but it never really troubled Pansy because she felt the same way and she was proud to say that she at least shared one small similarity with him, as unromantic as it was.

Pansy absolutely detested the famous trio who were held above everyone else within Hogwarts, and wizarding society at large, not through some act of ability or sacrifice but through affiliation, in Hermione and Ron's case, and luck. Yes, Harry was lucky to have escaped the Dark Lord with nothing more than a scar on his forehead, he performed no miracles that day but merely reaped the benefit of old and forgotten magic which inevitably saved him.

That was right, Pansy was well aware of how Harry Potter actually survived. Despite the various rumours and beliefs to the contrary, Harry had not survived per say but it was more that Lily Potter had sacrificed herself in the name of her son. She performed no spell, no incantation but was merely resolute in her belief that Harry must survive no matter the cost. It was forgotten magic which the Dark Lord only became aware of since very recently, from the mouth of his trusted spy; Severus Snape.

Pansy had only ever met he-who-must-not-be-named on two separate occasions and she never stayed too long, for fear of offending the most powerful wizard to have ever lived. However the same could not be said for her fiancé, Draco Malfoy, who was forced to accompany the Dark Lord in preparation for his final task, his "initiation" as the other had come to call it.

It was during this initiation process when the Draco she had always known and cared for… had been completely extinguished. Many death eaters talked as if his initiation was far crueller than any before him but that was not surprising as he had been tasked with a single and impossible order; to kill Albus Dumbledore. The pressure of such a task, to have been commanded to kill the only man who had fought the Dark Lord in open combat and lived to tell the tale, it utterly consumed him and turned him into someone that Pansy couldn't identify with.

That pressure alone would have crippled any man, no matter how brave or demonic their intentions could be. But that wasn't all Draco had to contend with because he had already been named as Slytherin's newest prefect and was therefore responsible for far more than any young man could contend with.

And with this new source of power Draco took every opportunity to bully those weaker than him or less fortunate whether through physical means or psychologically, with the latter becoming his personal favourite because like he said "There is nothing more satisfying that watching someone lose their will to live."

But Pansy knew that this was just Draco hitting out in anger and frustration, and after the first few incidents he gradually became disinterested in the power he had always sought and the words he spoke in such jest now seemed hollow because this time it was Draco that was losing his will to live.

And in time his methods also became crueller and his patience more so. Often, when he wanted something he would take it by force but now when he couldn't afford to do so or the risk heavily outweighed the object he desired he would use less courteous tactics, and blackmail was something he truly revelled in.

Of course if he had no honest blackmail then he would forge it or create a situation which would work in his favour, after all Pansy wasn't the only one who was willing to do anything for Draco… there were many other girls who would risk public scandal for the chance of 'spending time with him.'

Many claimed that Malfoy was extremely fortunate, with a knowing tone in their voice; because he always seemed to stumble upon 'evidence' which would see his target involved in rather compromising situations with one of these so called fans of his and the pictures were rarely modest. It was better in fact when his target was already in a relationship because then he would have the bastard right where he wanted them.

But while Pansy knew of all these things and ignored all the blatant signs of his unfaithful behaviour, the one thing that hurt her the most was the accusations of his violent tendencies. Many honestly believed that Draco physically assaulted her, and frequently, and this was what upset her most because Draco never actually harmed Slytherin's princess, in fact he had always been quite protective of her.

There had been many times when Pansy had wanted a little bit of what he gave to his helpers or "Draco's whores" as others named them, but every time she attempted to instigate a kiss he would refuse with the most beautiful and yet hurtful words she had ever heard.

"Don't waste your first on me."

His reluctant behaviour, his sexual acts amongst love struck fans and his sporadically caring attitude cut Pansy deeply because she loved him, she really did love him. Despite all his glaringly obvious insecurities and limitations, Draco was the man she loved and she would, through their family's merger, one day proudly be named as Pansy Malfoy but every time she brought up this very fact Draco would become angry and cut all forms of communication with her.

For Pansy it was strange though because Draco, despite his kind attitude and at times warming words, always gave off the impression that she was either unworthy of his family name or that he was completely uninterested in nothing more than their continued friendship, and would often scream at her for even suggesting such a thing as if he saw it as a betrayal of trust.

But despite all this he never once put a hand on Pansy… But like she said before things changed. And the one thing that did change, when he became a death eater, was Draco's temper when it concerned Pansy Parkinson.

She couldn't quite remember when it happened or why, maybe he was just having a bad day or, what was more likely, he had been embarrassed by the courageous trio yet again but when Pansy attempted to calm Draco's frantic ranting and violent mannerisms that was when he lashed out in a torrent of held back emotion.

That was the day Draco Malfoy engraved his anger upon her body not sexually but with malice forethought the likes of which she never wanted to experience ever again, not only because it hurt, and it really did hurt Pansy terribly, but because her worst nightmare had come to life.

She had been harmed by the person she trusted the most in this world. A man who was supposed to care for her and love her as she had always imagined, like in the books she read as a child away from her parents sceptical eyes. But that last vain of hope had been extinguished, the moment he assaulted her unconscious body. The last person she believed would ever harm her was no more.

After the vicious beating at the hands of the man she loved Pansy continued to maintain the belief that his violent acts were a result of her own insensitive behaviour. The beating she sustained didn't last long and when he was finished and his common sense returned Draco did something she had never seen before; he begged for forgiveness. There he was the great and supposedly uncaring Draco Malfoy, lying crumpled in a corner apologizing unreservedly for what he had done. That night Pansy did not retreat from him, although she had every right to do so, but instead consoled him and held him in her arms as he let out his grief in a torrent of held back tears.

Pansy knew that Draco was often rude, violent and pessimistic about life but those were all symptoms of the real problem, because the truth was; Draco was scared. A role had been forced upon him by his family and now by Lord Voldermort himself, to do something which even he-who-must-not-be –named had failed to do. So much pressure and expectation thrust upon his young and impressionable mind, and the fear of failure which would result in not only his death but that of his family too.

All of that insurmountable pressure changed him into what she had now come to know. Long ago Draco used to be understanding and responsible, he was never sweet and would talk of Harry Potter as if he was the greatest sin of this world but not once did he intentionally mean to harm Pansy but as we all know that all changed when he became a death eater. In time Draco would watch nameless faces being tortured remorselessly in his Manor and often by his own trembling hands.

Despite all this, and the more frequent abuses she suffered at Draco's hands. Pansy, in a sick and twisted way, gradually grew to cherish her time with Draco more and more, when she wasn't being beaten that is. Ever since she was a young girl she had always been within Draco's proximity and had depended on him as he had depended on her and as such a friendship of sorts was formed, not something as strong as the supposed golden trio but it was still there and now that connection had been completely severed not by her hands but by Draco's. The hopes and dreams of a family squashed beyond repair.

And now here she was, Pansy Parkinson on the run from new home; Malfoy Manor but the reasons why she fled had nothing to do with the house or the people that occupied and owned it but because of his plan; of Lord Voldermort's plan.

She had been chosen, no less handpicked by the most powerful wizard of all time. As his diligent supporter Pansy should have felt truly honoured perhaps even feel unworthy to have received such a prize but the implication of it and the plan that he had spoken of with relative glee shook her to the very core.

The Dark Lord couldn't have been serious. It was absurd; it couldn't have been possible because no such magic should have existed and to other mere mortals such as ourselves it didn't but Lord Voldermort was no mere mortal and he never lied when it concerned his prolonged survival. So, with this ungodly power, the Dark Lord had chosen Pansy Parkinson; not because of any outstanding feature, not even because she was particularly talented or adaptable it all had to do with proximity.

Was she truly valued by the Dark Lord?

Had she ever been truly valued by anyone?

Pansy's parents had raised her in their cold image but they never nurtured her, never comforted her when she cried or when she had been approached by that hideous Fenrir Greyback who often snuck into her room at the dead of night with despicable and vile intentions.

Instead of feeling protective of their child they felt nothing but ashamed as they were mocked by the other members of the group for raising such a "mud-blood" and as a result their teachings became far more forced and cruel. Pansy's innocence and individuality stripped until she was nothing more than the mirror image of her raving mother. Then the years of forced teachings had been replaced by years of frequent neglect, to the point where one day she almost forgot her mother's name.

And she promised herself, from that day on, that she would never be referred to as a mud-blood again. Pansy knew she was a pure-blood; it ran through her veins clear and **clean**. She would never be one of them and she hated all of them because they were a reminder of her past and maybe… if she used that word enough to describe a muggle witch or wizard… maybe then that one word wouldn't cause her so much pain but of course it never worked.

Ever since her childhood, Pansy had been taught that mud-bloods were the lesser race and after being compared to one and labelled as such; her hatred towards a certain Hermione Granger had been solidified.

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"Where are you Pansy? We are waiting." Greyback teased, his voice becoming playful as if he was talking to a small child, the same way he had talked to Pansy when she was no smaller then 4… when he threatened to make her like him; a werewolf which an insatiable hunger for human flesh.

The voice, the memories and his nearing proximity was too much for Pansy and the fear it began to invoke within her returned in full force. Without a moment's hesitation Pansy sprinted away from the safety of the oak tree and away from her pursuers who were now fully aware of her presence. The sounds of dogs and footsteps followed Pansy at every turn as she desperately looked around at her surroundings for any path which could lead her away to safety.

She was confused and desperate; she didn't know where to go. This place had always been her home but it was like the trees had been malformed and the scenery had been made hopelessly unrecognizable.

Where could she go? Who would even help her? She was the virgin who had been aptly named "Slytherin's whore." No one would help her and it was no one's fault but her own. Tears began to pierce her eyes as she realised the hopelessness of her situation, but she couldn't go back because the only thing she could go back to was a life that she had never wished for. A life Pansy had no say in, with people who terrified her and mocked her, who wouldn't even care if she were to perish from this world; no one would, not even her mother.

Why did things turn out like this?

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She wanted to be happy but was offered nothing but misery and neglect.

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She wanted to be loved but was abused and tormented by a man who now felt nothing for her.

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She wanted to be valued but never had the ability, looks or even courage to warrant such a thing.

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She wanted a family but Pansy could never find them because she had already disappointed them.

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And she wanted to live but now… she was going to die.

Suddenly, as Pansy sprinted under the cover of the forest, dark smoke began billowing overhead warping their way through the darkening sky, the presence within them becoming apparent due to the sharp downpour of rain and thunder. The sight made Pansy's terror increase tenfold, and in her haste to escape she slipped on the wet surface once again but under far more troubling circumstances.

Descending down the cliff side, Pansy's knees scrapped along the sharp rocks her body tumbling at an increased velocity. In panic Pansy covered her head with her hands, her elbows softening the multiple blows as she was propelled down the edge of the forest.

Pansy's body traversed the endless formation of rocks, momentum accelerating her plight before she rather mercilessly made contact with the muddy ground below. Her body battered, eye slightly swollen and the taste of blood clinging to her mouth and skin were the last things she felt as she gradually began to slip into the unconscious realm.

But before she slipped away completely, Pansy saw one final horrifying sight. The dark smoke was drawing closer from far off in the distance, conforming to human shapes once it had landed within her visible vicinity while their dark cloaks swayed within the torrid rainstorm. The figures drew closer as Pansy's senses finally dulled, her eye lids growing heavy and her breathing becoming shallow as she finally realised that her last desperate attempt had failed.

It was over, Pansy didn't escape from this hell and as a result her life was over before it had even begun.

"Get her up. The Dark Lord will be here soon and we cannot afford to anger him with the knowledge that we couldn't handle one small girl." Bellatrix Lestrange shouted in an attempt to speak over the vicious rain, which would have silenced a kinder and gentler voice.

Without discussion Fenrir moved towards the unconscious body and, rather than treating her like a true gentlemen should, he roughly grabbed her by the strands of her hair and wordlessly dragged her towards the remaining death eaters.

"You idiot, what do you think you're doing?" Bellatrix snapped. Quickly snatching the unconscious girl from Greyback's calloused hands before motioning for him to leave, which he did not acknowledge. The wolf's nostrils flared as the younger girl lay undisturbed and peaceful within his fellow death eater's arms, the anger of being talked down to once again propelling him to speak rather than act.

"Have you grown fond of this one, Bella? Feeling a little soft are we?"

But before Bellatrix could incite another row for such an absurd and ridiculous question, Lucius quickly marched towards the pair and settled the matter "Enough you two, we are wasting valuable time. Bellatrix take her into the mansion and make sure one of the servants gets her washed and clothed before the Dark Lord arrives, we cannot allow him to know of our mistakes."

His air of finality however was not picked up by Bellatrix as she too interjected, "How did she even escape? There were at least 12 of us at the Mansion and not one of us realised she was gone. Not to mention the guards positioned all over the terrace… And now that I think of it, weren't you guarding her door? Surely you should have heard something you filthy dog." Bellatrix stated in her usual accusatory voice as she promptly stepped towards Greyback with an equally questioning look.

"Now listen here, there were no alarming sounds coming from that room and no movement of any kind. How was I supposed to know she had escaped? Even from here I can hear the gossiping amongst your staff Lucius but I assure you all… that not a single footstep could be heard in that room." Greyback shot back looking more and more nervous as the attention of the group shifted towards him, their wands tightening in their hands as they gauged Fenrir's reaction.

"That is enough. You continue to underestimate her; Pansy is a lot smarter than you give her credit for. I wouldn't have allowed my son to marry her if she was anything less than exceptional. She wouldn't have been chosen by the Dark Lord himself if she was merely average," Lucius stated looking at the group in exasperation as he had warned them again and again that she might try something like this; but back then he had been ignored.

", She is the 8th and far more valuable than the rest of you. I don't know how she did it and I don't care; Get her to the Mansion now!"

With little room for questions Lucius promptly turned around and apparated to Malfoy Manor, the group looked at one another in question before begrudgingly following suit; they did not like being told what to do but Lucius did have a point, the Dark Lord would be here in any moment and Pansy needed to be cleaned, treated and properly dressed for his arrival.

Once Bellatrix had arrived at the Mansion she thrust the unconscious body into one of Lucius' many servants, rubbing her hands as if the simple touch was infectious, and watched as Pansy was led towards the private showers which only she and Draco were permitted to use.

It was almost time, the Dark Lord's plan had almost begun and it would all start and hinge on one person; Pansy Parkinson.

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Author's Notes:

Hello to old visitors and new, I have decided to make some changes to the original story and include a new dynamic which I hope will interest new readers.

This will be a plot and character driven story concerning three important characters and they are; Pansy Parkinson, Hermione Granger and Ginny Weasley. Old favourites like Harry, Ron etc will all be making an appearance, some more than others, but the story is predominantly about the earlier 3.

Now I will give you a little information about my plan's for this story, no spoilers etc so please don't worry about that…

The story will recommence at the end of the war, when the Dark lord has been defeated. The story will take place, at the beginning of the New Year, within the revitalized wizarding school we all know and love; Hogwarts. The older students, who were unable to begin their exams due to the School's demolished appearance, will be returning for their final year.

The story will also focus primarily on the relationship between Ginny, Hermione and Pansy (As well as other female cast members such as Luna, Daphne etc etc) and we will see some of them grow closer together as time passes and most importantly heals old wounds. Of course other characters will have their moments to and there will be frequent interactions between the usual cast but with the focus remaining on the relationship, trial and tribulations of Hermione Granger, Ginny Weasley and Pansy Parkinson.

There will be fem slash so be warned, there will also be no straight relationships described in this story but merely mentioned in passing or highlighted at points. This will be a very romantic and intimate story for all concerned. This is after all a story about two or more teenage girls who previously felt nothing but animosity towards one another gradually beginning to to fall for one another.

And there will also be a growing love situation between various characters with the direction placed solely upon one person who will not be named (By the way that is not a hint that the person is Lord Voldermort as he is evidently dead, and it would just be creepy, so don't worry :P)

I will also try to lessen the angst a bit, which is my forte, because I want this story to be not only cheerful but to also be about redemption; in many forms and from many people. I want to explore the characters thoroughly and show you how they are growing as people and helping to form a new sustainable community where prejudices are nothing but a thing of the past.

I must warn you there will be hardships especially for Pansy who will face pain beyond her wildest imaginations but I will say no more on this but I left a huge hint as to why she is in pain.

Oh and for fans of Ronald Weasley don't worry this story is not going to be an endless bashing of his character, I will attempt to stick to his character as close as possible but like I said this story is about redemption but it also about letting go and moving on. Although if he does such a thing willingly I won't tell you :P

I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will offer your opinions and insight; I like to interact with reviewers and get their thoughts and ideas on certain situations. After all two pairs of eyes are better than one. The next update won't be for a while and this story will unfortunately be updated fairly leisurely, depending on interest, when I'm not writing Empty Places or Forever Drifting but I am very keen on this story and I will write it to completion, so don't worry.

All the Best :D

P.S. This story was brought about by something I heard in Sherlock Holmes, one of my favourite quotes which is the basis for this story. And this is the quote in all its magnificence "All lives end, all hearts are broken. Caring is not an advantage"

**P.S. 2, I would be grateful if anyone who has good grammar skills, as well as overall brilliance :D, would consider beta reading this particular story. I lack certain requirements that make a competent writer and feel that an outside perspective would really help me, I have deluded dreams of writing original stories so any help you could offer would be most kind.**


	2. Chapter 2: What Lies Within The Darkness

Harry Potter

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A Serpent's Lament

By Miracles79

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Chapter 2: What Lies within the Darkness

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Disclaimer: The characters used in this Fan Fic are owned by JK Rowling and Warner Brother Studios (I think?) and are merely used in appreciation of the original author's incredible work.

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Silence… Darkness… That was all she saw as she wondered through the empty halls of a strangely familiar world. Why this place seemed so familiar she did not know? But even within the spanning darkness she couldn't help but feel strangely secure, as if the encroaching darkness could not be perceived as a threat.

Faint candle light lit her way, her path being further aided by the moonlight which streamed through the thoroughly transparent windows. The clear light unveiled the figures bushy, yet not at all unkempt, brown hair, her milk white skin which shone under the moonlight and her Gryffindor robes which swayed as she inspected her surroundings.

'_Why am I here…?'_

'_What is this place…?'_

Hermione wondered as she spread her hands in front of her, hoping to avoid any walls or accidents which could occur within the engulfing darkness. Stumbling slightly, Hermione forced her way through the two sided doors, which she was not even aware of, and was finally sprayed in moderate light. A sigh of relief passing as she looked back at her previous location, the pitch black darkness chilling her to the very core at its incredibly daunting nature.

As she took another look around her nearby vicinity, Hermione finally recognized the familiar architecture, the sounds of owls swopping overhead and the tense silence which she had grown unaccustomed too. Especially since this place, this school, housed the loudest and most magically gifted students of their age… yes, Hermione was welcomed by the remarkable and yet equally beautiful sight of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

Hermione would not have been aware of this very fact had she not seen the Astronomy tower far off in the distance, its small light highlighting the emptiness of its surroundings. Everything was so silent and it was rather unbecoming for such a highly populated school. This school, while often study distracting due to its noisy students, had been a great place of learning coupled with opportunities most could not find in life.

So then why was it so empty and lifeless?

It had no reason to be lifeless. The walls and buildings appeared brand new, as if a terrible and bloody war had not been staged on these very grounds… or that, within these very walls, precious lives had not been extinguished in the blink of an eye. Hermione felt great sadness as she pondered this; even after several months of mourning and coming to terms with things of varying importance… she had not found any closure, only a numb feeling where happiness used to reside.

Walking into the garden like enclosure, Hermione tenderly inspected the re-built wizarding school appreciating its remarkable likeness to its previously un-demolished appearance. Many bitter sweet memories were contained within these walls, a place which educated her in the ways of wizarding society and yet also the place where she had formed seemingly unbreakable friendships which had been torn asunder.

She remembered them all… both the lost and the grieving.

The memory of her close friend, and highly regarded Auror, Nymphadora Tonks, still caused incredible pain even to this day. The memory of her lifeless body resting beside her husbands, Remus Lupin, their hands seemingly inching towards each other as a last gasp to be together even in death… their child left without a father… left without a mother. Never realising how much they had sacrificed so that he could live in a future free from fear and unconditional hatred. The sight, the motivation, the unfair conclusion… it was all so wrong and so, so painful.

Then there were the impossible deaths, impossible not because they were remarkably gifted but because they were innocent. Their deaths were so senseless and at the same time so meaningless… they were not a threat, they just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time… under the eyes of the less forgiving and the morally corrupt.

Lavender Brown and Colin Creevy were the names that stood out from this group, despite the horrifying degree of deaths within the first and second years which still haunted her even now. It was only after the war that their bodies and the method of their passing had been disclosed, such young lives taken before they had a chance to grow… to live.

Colin Creevy's body had been found by Neville Longbottom and Oliver Wood; the courageous yet foolish boy had disobeyed Professor McGonagall's express order for all under age students to vacate the premises. But, being the Harry Potter fan, and after idolising him for so long, Colin believed he could make a difference… make Harry proud. But he had never been able to understand the true nature of war.

War, but more so their enemy, would not discriminate between worthy and unworthy, there was only one answer for those who fought against them and that was death. Without a fighting chance, and against powerfully trained Death Eaters, Colin Creevy fell and died before he even had the chance to live.

Then there was Lavender Brown, poor unfortunate Lavender Brown. Hermione had personally seen the horrific events transpire with her own two eyes. The sight of Fenrir Greyback plunging his teeth deep into her throat, and despite Hermione's desperate actions, despite pacifying the beast into an unconscious state… Lavender Brown eventually, feebly, died of her injuries. The girl she used to dislike for her overly dramatic attempts at flirtation now lay practically mutilated, her corpse a reminder that you should cherish those around you no matter how insecure they make you feel.

There was of course the death of Severus Snape, the villain turned selfless hero and protector, but that particular death hadn't had time to fully sink in yet. She used to hate and despise that man's very existence for seven long years but in the end he, more so than Dumbledore in a way, had protected the Golden trio. Not only did he protect them but his actions helped orchestrate Lord Voldermort's demise, gave Harry the means to exact his revenge in the form of Gryffindor's sword and he even went as far as to protect the students under his command despite the overwhelming hatred that was unfairly directed towards him by one man's plan.

That one man was Albus Dumbledore; a man she once viewed as the greatest, wisest and most powerful wizard of this age and of any age. But ever since the recent revelations, the unfair promises he made Snape uphold and his underwhelming, and Hermione believed, hopeless plan had left Hermione in a state of anger. They were underprepared to face such a monstrosity, he, Albus Dumbledore, had based his entire plan on nothing more than luck and three under age students' fumbling attempts to discern a message, an overall goal, behind what little they had to go on.

Don't even get her started on those damn horcruxes. It was hard enough to be asked to defeat a wizard as powerful, as unstoppable, as Lord Voldermort but to search for scarcely documented horcruxes throughout unknown locations without a proper means to destroy them… it was almost like there was writing on the wall but no one around to see it, how they survived was anyone's guess.

But even though rage consumed her, Hermione still felt remorse which would override any internal conflict which threatened to announce itself out in the open. At a time where people needed to be together, to be supported and comforted Hermione did not need to throw a hitch into their prospective healing durations.

But even so, Hermione still felt angry, aggrieved by the senseless passings and the stupidity of a war waged by one man who thought himself better than everyone else. But she would not dwell on that man, Lord Voldermort was not worth the air she breathed and she would put her superior intellect to better use. After all, it was his fault that the world now seemed so much smaller… now that so many friends, families and loved ones had died.

… Even the living had changed.

Poor Harry, her best and most valued friend, now seemed so exhausted almost lifeless in comparison to his usual self. The moment Voldermort was killed should have brought him joy or at least a sense of relief, but while he appeared visually calm to those around him, Hermione saw the scars which lay underneath. The years of uncertainty and fear had taken its toll and effectively drained him, completely.

Which was why, after the battle, Hermione was not surprised when he cut all forms of contact with both herself and the wizarding world at large. He didn't however do this unannounced, he explained to those who would listen that he needed time to mourn and to come to terms with things on his own. Many were fearful, perhaps fearing an impending suicide, which was a stupid notion which Hermione and others who knew him often verbally corrected for its flawed nature.

And thankfully after two long and worrying months, Harry finally returned and was gradually showing signs of returning to his former, more upbeat self. The scars, both visible and concealed, where still plain to see but he was working through them diligently, if only he would approach his homework in a similar way? Alright perhaps Hermione was being a little mean but it also meant that she was also recovering from the effects of the war, and that was a welcomed sign.

On the other hand, Hermione's other friend Ronald Weasley, was contending with things in a different manner to Harry. The loss of his brother, Fred, hit him hard but rather than seek time alone, like Harry did, he instead supported his family during their grief and was supported in turn. He showed remarkable courage and selflessness which made Hermione's recent realisation all the more difficult and most of all downright painful.

Ron and Hermione were now together, an item so to speak, but that did not mean she was **in** love with him, at least not in the romantic sense. All it took was one foolish moment of weakness where she gave Ron what he had always hoped for; his feelings were kind of obvious to the no less uninterested brunette, who often caught his eyes watching her intently, so she kissed him not because she held any love or romantic feelings towards him but because she wanted him to feel love if this was to be their last day on Earth… she owed him that much.

But now she was left at an impasse, the problem was that she couldn't leave Ron under these current circumstances. Especially since he was rebuilding his life at a very fragile and important time but her real reasons had a lot more to do with the fear of losing him, and in more ways than one. But while Ron needed time, Hermione also needed to recover under far better circumstances… she couldn't lie to Ron like this, offer him false hope and then take it away the moment his life finally showed signs of improving. She couldn't treat such a dearly cherished friend in such a way.

And then there was Ginny. Ginerva Weasley, the first person to have ever caught the eye of the unknowingly gorgeous yet confused bookworm known as Hermione Granger. The term 'lesbian' and 'dyke' had been carelessly thrown around in modern day society not only in the muggle world but in the wizarding world too. But if she was to categorize her sexual preference in any way then it would have to be by the former term, 'lesbian', as 'dyke' was just insulting.

This sudden change became apparent during her fourth year at Hogwarts but to be more precise it occurred during the Yule Ball which had been held primarily for the participants of the Twiwizard tournament, but in Hermione's honest opinion it was more so to encourage inter school and house relationships.

And so, it was during the Yule ball that Hermione had come to a startling revelation, she suddenly realised that she had been viewing women as far more attractive and alluring then men. Even when she was the envy of the entire room, apparently being on Viktor Krum's arm was a sign of companionship for whatever reason; she still noticed her eyes routinely drifting towards one girl, and one girl in particular.

And that one person just happened to be her best friend… Ginny Weasley

Perhaps it had been her beautiful clothing that day or the way she smiled happily in brief acknowledgement of Hermione's attentive eyes, but in the end Hermione felt a sudden almost uncontrollable urge to dance with Ginny… hold her close and away from the hands of Neville Longbottom who she considered to be a kind and caring friend. Such thoughts should have discouraged her but throughout the night her eyes seemed to gravitate towards the nape of her best friend's neck, admiring the milky white skin which left her lips dry and her imagination to thrive with surprising possibilities.

Over time the two had grown closer, some would go so far as to say that they were inseparable, but despite this they still maintained that modest distance known as 'friendship'. And over time Ginny's feelings for Harry were reciprocated and Hermione, with a broken heart, was prepared to push her feelings aside and allow their love to blossom, at the expense of her own.

But their love never did blossom in the end.

In time Ginny grew disillusioned, Harry's frequent near death experiences and his necessary yet unfortunate neglect began to take its toll on the beautiful women who had finally decided that she needed stability at a time when lives were threatened. The couple, who Hermione, and many others within Hogwarts, believed would be together at the culmination of the war instead in a surprising turn of events parted amicably.

No raised voices or callous words were spoken but a mutual understanding that they had their time and while premature, it was still very much valued.

After their break up, Hermione found that she spent a lot more time with Ginny. At first Hermione was merely placed to comfort Ginny in her moments of grief, sometimes she blamed herself over her treatment of Harry and at other times she simply grieved over the loss of her brother, Fred. During these times Hermione whispered comforting words and tried to maintain an appropriate physical distance, despite every cell in her body crying out for her to hold the girl close but she never did act on these feelings for fear of offending the one she loved.

However, Ginny often left her powerless to stop said contact because she, Ginny, was the one who initiated it. Increasingly often, Hermione would be pulled into an almost skin tight hug and be whispered fearful words such as "'Mione. You won't leave me, will you?" And while she silently basked in the rather prolonged contact, and blissful words, she still felt terrible because not only did she fail to comfort Ginny, despite evidence to the contrary, but she honestly felt like she was taking advantage of Ginny's fragile state of mind.

The new found physical contact didn't stop there though. Often when Hermione had trouble sleeping Ginny would, after several comforting words, climb into her bed and cuddle up to her. And at other times Hermione would climb into Ginny's bed but this only happened when she heard the red headed silently crying or mumbling terrified words in her sleep.

Ginny had a rather cute and overwhelming tendency to cuddle up to the older witch when they slept together and this would often cause Hermione's body heat to increase drastically, her cheeks becoming slightly red as she viewed the sleeping figure nestled beside her. Sometimes Ginny wouldn't even be asleep and she would still purposely snuggle into the crook of Hermione's neck, her breathe tickling her flushed cheeks as she remained rigid from the unexpected contact, no matter how many times the act occurred.

At first this sleeping pattern was irregular and would happen once or twice a week but over time it was almost a wordless agreement that they would share the same bed every night, whether that was Hermione's or Ginny's neither knew or cared. The excuse they used for the physical contact was valid however because it was extremely cold within the burrows newly thatched walls, but secretly both used the opportunity to drink in the others close proximity… believing their feelings could never be reciprocated.

You may be wondering why Hermione was even staying at the newly built Burrow. Surely when the war was over, and the threat ended, Hermione would have returned to Australia… to where her parent's currently lived content yet unfulfilled lives without a daughter they never knew they had. Surely Hermione would have returned their memories at the first opportunity and explained the reasons for her actions with complete and utter transparency… Well she had her reasons for staying with the Weasley's but that was a story for another time and not one Hermione wanted to remember any time soon.

Because sometimes things should be left both unsaid, and regrettably forgotten.

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Returning to her strangely familiar surroundings, Hermione gradually began to realise how truly empty the School appeared. The hooting birds which had been flying overhead moments ago were now gone, no noisy or obnoxiously loud students littered the spacious grounds around her and no teachers where around to instruct lost first years, that was if there were any first years to be found at all. Not even the sight of Miss Norris prowling the hallways for the sight of an unsuspecting mouse or student in some cases. It was silent; it was empty and most of all it was dark and devoid of any sort of life normally associated with Hogwarts.

An unsettling worry began to settle in the pit of Hermione's stomach as she took note of her silent surroundings, her steps becoming slightly more hurried as she headed towards an unspecified location; merely content to remove herself from the ominous sight of the deserted gardens within Hogwarts.

It was only when Hermione stepped through the double sided doors that she heard a vague yet undeniably strange trickling noise. Hermione's progress coming to a sudden, abrupt, halt as she remained absolutely still and listened to the persistent noise which appeared to be coming from somewhere nearby. To the slim brunette it felt rather ominous as the repetitious sound continued to reverberate around her vicinity in an almost faint whisper. Its location unknown, its nature impossible to tell but despite all the uncertainties, for some reason, Hermione felt her body tense.

Intrigue and worry fought for dominance in Hermione's mind, the persistent sound doing nothing to ease her worry. Looking down the hallway, Hermione wordlessly pondered her next course of action, deliberating on whether to investigate the sound or return to the safety of the gardens. She carefully considered all her options but it was the fear of the unknown which finally forced her forward as she took her first tentative steps towards the strange sound.

The only sounds which now filled the halls of Hogwarts where those of her own hurried footsteps masking the far stranger sound which persisted within the darkness. And as she moved closer, the repetitious sound gradually grew louder and louder, its sound being amplified by the thin walls which seemed newly formed… but even though the sound was clearer, Hermione was still unable to decipher what it could be.

But before Hermione could locate the sound of the intrusion, or guess its derivation, she almost jumped in fright as a wet chill rose from her ankles. Shaking her foot violently, Hermione finally noticed the floor but more importantly that it had been submerged by an inch thick layer of water. Even within the pitch black darkness she could spot the glistening waves of the water beneath her but what puzzled her more was why she hadn't noticed it before or felt it since it must have been circling her ankles for a while.

The candlelight positioned around her gradually lit up the surrounding area, giving Hermione a rare glimpse of what was around her or where she even was. Surprisingly this place was very familiar to Hermione because she had often walked past this hallway to reach a certain bathroom, but not just any bathroom; Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. So, taking into account the water lapping around her ankles, Hermione summarised that the strange noise she heard before must have been a leaky tap which had been left unattended by an oblivious student? Yes, that was all it was.

Sighing in relief, and a mixture of embarrassment, Hermione calmly walked towards Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. The light brightening around her as she past, its embers dying as she was no longer within its vicinity.

When she finally reached the final corridor, turning the corner as she did so, Hermione almost shrieked in alarm at something truly unexpected… her heart pounding in her ears as she was forced to acknowledge a horrifying sight. It couldn't have lasted for more than a millisecond, within the time it took to bat ones eye lashes, but she had seen it, it was unmistakable… If Hermione was correct she had just seen the sight of trailing feet disappearing from view as if an unknown individual was being violently and carelessly dragged along the floor… by a mysterious figure who could not be seen.

The scene before Hermione's eyes happened so fast that most people would have believed it had been a trick of the light or perhaps, even more likely in Hermione's case, just their imagination. That must have been it, a cruel misunderstanding brought on by her own paranoia. After all, this had not been the first time in which Hermione had seen things which weren't truly there. Yes, it **could** have been her imagination but the split second sighting was enough to spike her curiosity and, without further preamble, she moved towards the recent disturbance.

But before Hermione could proceed any further, she suddenly notices a new, and vile, combination mixing within the water. An impossibly large trail originating from the entrance of Moaning Myrtle's bathroom and continuing all the way around to where Hermione had last seen the figures disappearing feet. Within the clear, although somewhat murky water was a prominently eerie crimson which seemed to, at first, begin as mere strands before gradually engulfing the patches of water in its hideously sickening colour.

It was blood.

Someone was bleeding, and profusely which could be seen from the vast amount which littered the hallway. Hermione watched dumbstruck as dank, dark blood continued to mingle within the water circling her feet and this startling fact seemed to magnify the need for action. Someone was bleeding and needed help immediately and so, with renewed purpose, Hermione marched towards the trails premature end ready to protect whoever was in need of her help. Just like old times, times she wished would never return this soon.

As Hermione nervously leant around the corner she was welcomed by another painfully expected, and yet distressing, sight. A hooded figure, its entire body covered in a black cloak, in an effort to hide its appearance, was dragging an unconscious body behind in its wake. Hermione froze in place as she watched the hooded figure taking uneven almost deformed steps, its body lulling to each side as it struggled to put weight on either foot. From its strange walking pattern you would have thought the creature appeared weak but that was most certainly not the case because it dragged the unconscious body along with one, withered, hand showing no signs of exhaustion whatsoever.

What surprised the most however was not the tall hooded figure, which seemed repulsively out of place, but the unconscious body that it was dragging along. It was hard to tell but Hermione quickly discerned that the unconscious figure was most definitely a girl; she was sure about that but for reasons which either didn't present themselves or that didn't make any sense at all. It was nothing more than a feeling but Hermione knew she was correct in her assumption.

Furthermore, the unconscious figure was blurred in comparison to the hooded figure. The girl's features may have been facing Hermione's direction but the diligent muggle born could not see anything identifiable other than brunette hair which hardly narrowed down the search criteria. There was however one feature that stood out like a proverbial sore thumb and it had nothing to do with the girl's facial features but more to do with her clothing.

The unconscious girl was clothed in the Hogwarts school uniform, but what shocked Hermione the most was the colour that accompanied the traditional school attire… a colour which could only be associated with the house of Slytherin. Needing further proof Hermione quickly switched her attention to the emblem displayed on her chest and she was unsurprised to see the serpent of Slytherin embedded upon it. So she was right. The unconscious student was a member of Slytherin house but that begged the question… why was she being shown the image of a Slytherin student? Wouldn't Ginny, Harry or Ron have been a more powerful image? And what did any of this possibly have to do with her?

Tentatively, despite the creature's grotesque mannerisms, Hermione attempted to reach out for her wand in preparation for battle but when she was met with nothing but the fabric of her uniform she quickly looked down. She was now in very serious trouble… because her wand had seemingly disappeared without her knowing. Looking back down the hall, she saw no sign of her wand and only the sound of the hooded figures snapping ankles as it walked uninterrupted.

There was nothing she could do. Hermione could only watch as the unidentifiable student was routinely dragged by the creepy and hunched figure whose robs billowed erratically during its exaggerated mannerisms. A path of fresh, sickly blood trailing from where the Slytherin student was unceremoniously dragged behind its captor.

The hooded figure was nearing the end of the corridor as it dragged the bloodied Slytherin; it never even seemed to notice Hermione's presence, either that or it didn't particularly care. Something was off about this entire situation not just the obvious but the hooded figure didn't seem to acknowledge its surroundings which was further evident when it walked straight into the end of the corridor, its head lulling backwards as it staggered. The creature's hands stretched behind its head in a bizarre attempt to keep its balance, its feet spreading awkwardly as it stumbled from the sudden contact. What the hell was this thing? And why was it making such an ungodly noise?

But Hermione had little time to ponder this thought because the figure suddenly found its bearings and promptly disappeared from view, the girl's feet being the last thing that vanished as the creature continued down another corridor.

Before Hermione could even give chase in the hopes of rescuing the unfortunate student something truly remarkable happened. As Hermione took her first hurried steps, the blood around her suddenly rose from the ground, singular strands conforming to a vast form as it spanned the entire length of the corridor, fattening to an unhealthy extent. And unknown to Hermione, its length shortened as it proceeded steadily towards her.

But before Hermione could acclimatise to this surprising turn of events, or even ponder her next move, the vast form of blood suddenly burst violently in a sea of crimson which hurtled towards her at a tremendous force. Hermione covered her eyes just in time as the sea of blood effectively soaked both herself and her surroundings, vile droplets of blood falling from the ceiling as they descended upon her vicinity. Horrified, Hermione looked down towards her clothing and was disgusted by the sight; her thin clothing had been matted in the darkest blood she had ever seen. Not to mention the horrendously sickening feel of fresh blood that clung to her skin in disturbing detail.

"W-w… what?" Hermione stuttered fearfully.

In a moment of panic, Hermione desperately tried to remove the blood from her person; without the use of a wand at her disposal. Rubbing her skin and clothing vigorously, Hermione was left with the unfortunate realisation that the blood wouldn't come off. She merely smudged the surface of her arm and made the blood far more pronounced in contrast with her now bear arms. There was nothing she could do.

Suddenly, the faintest sound of whispers could be heard coming from somewhere nearby. Any memory of her current predicament forgotten, Hermione turned this way and that looking for any sign of the subtle voice whose words seemed inaudible and yet frenzied and hurried all at the same time. As she looked around, the blood which coated the walls suddenly moved. Watching in clear astonishment, Hermione nervously observed this strange phenomena as the canvas of the wall spelled out words which were surrounded by the blood which had seemingly allowed it to do so.

'**HELP ME!'**

Then suddenly the surroundings walls began to display the same words in increasing repetition, the blood pooling as the words became increasingly clearer.

'**HELP ME!'**

'**HELP ME!'**

These words were then accompanied by the strange yet desperate voice which she had heard moments before. Its message clear as it begged Hermione for help, using nothing but the words that had been spread across the nearby walls as they were reiterated by this shrill and high pitched voice. The desperation within her voice becoming increasingly frequent as it cascaded throughout the corridor, its echo making Hermione's head ache from not only the message but the hopelessness of her task. How could she help someone who could not be seen? Who could not be located?

As the voice became louder, Hermione hurriedly held her hands to her ear in an attempt to silence the voice which begged for safety. The voice seemingly responding to this act by increasing in multitude, becoming more and more desperate, the words **'HELP ME' **reiterated into every available piece of concrete.

This was all too much. She had fought Lord Voldermort, taken on the Death Eaters during the battle of Hogwarts, been tortured by the sadistic Bellatrix Lestrange, watched loved ones die at the hands of murderers and cut throats… but this was different. Every single one of those enemies had a name and an identity which could be acknowledged and fought but she had none of that here. Not only was someone was in danger but they had been dragged off by a foul and disgusting creature the likes of which Hermione had never seen, read or even heard about. A creature who should not have existed and yet one that most certainly did.

Silence enveloped the corridor as Hermione opened her eyes, widening as her gaze focused on the opposite end of the corridor. There stood the hooded figure who appeared merely content to stare in her direction with no identifiable features of any kind to be seen. Only darkness where its face should have been. And at its feet lay a broken body, the body of a Slytherin girl, whose back was turned to Hermione. Scars protruding from her flesh, torn clothing presenting more of the abuses sustained to her body presumably at the hands of this demented creature whose had was encased in a sea of blood.

Hermione had failed…

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Author's Notes:

I still don't like this chapter, I've tried to improve it believe me I have but I just can't bring myself to look through it all. I'm really hoping to find a beta reader that can help me out with these kinds of things because while the content and the ideas are good (And I honestly believe the content is good) the writing is just convoluted and lacks both polish and clarity.

For fans of Ginny, and for people who came to see Hermione x Ginny, she will be involved in the next chapter. And before people ask 'no' Ginny will not be an antagonist, some people asked about whether she would be in my original story. Truth be told the main antagonist of the story will take a back seat so that the relationship between Pansy and Hermione (As well as Ginny x Hermione etc etc) can be thoroughly detailed and explored.

I hope you all know who the enemy is by the way because I left a huge hint in the previous chapter and I'm not sure if anyone picked it up. It is very important to the story but if you haven't gotten it then you will find out in time :P

Opinions, views would be greatly appreciated as they give me a different and valuable perspective into my story. Sometimes eyes looking in are better than eye working within, if you catch my drift.

**Beta Reader urgently needed, I would be grateful and welcome any help you can offer if you are interested.**

Thank you to the following readers, and Responses:

Miss. : Thank you for the high praise I was very happy with the first chapter but not so much this one unfortunately. I thought a lot about Pansy's personality because in the book she is rather bland with little hinting to her motivations, ambitions etc just your cut of the mill bully to be honest (Which is not a knock against JK Rowling because she couldn't have been expected to explore every single character within the Potter Universe) But Draco felt a lot easier for me personally because Tom Felton managed to perfect the character to a tee, and as I am a visual learner, it was made relatively easy to write for Draco :D Well, I hope you liked this recent chapter and I hope you will look forward to what I have in store for you.

Fatelocks: Thank you very much, as I said above Draco felt a lot easier to write than Pansy but I'm very happy to hear that you approved of my characterisation :D I hope the flow isn't too confusing, although there are so admitted rough spots, and I hope you find this chapter as enjoyable as the previous one.

: Hehe very happy to hear that I only hope you consider this chapter as interesting as the last one.

CoastalFirebird: Thank you very much Pansy's wellbeing will be one of the main points of this story and is in fact a big part of the next chapter which will answer some of your questions so definitely look out for that. I hope you enjoy this update and will offer your insight and opinions :D

Bayview1: I hope you found some joy in this chapter I have a very detailed plan for this story and will hopefully be able to write it until the very end because I have thought about this story for some time. Thank you for the high praise in your second section as that is incredibly humbling, I am a huge fan of these two as a pair and wanted to write something for them even though the demand appears to be very small :P All the best and I hope you liked this chapter


	3. Chapter 3: A Villain's Welcome

Harry Potter

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A Serpent's Lament

By Miracles79

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Chapter 3: A Villain's welcome

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Disclaimer: The characters used in this Fan Fic are owned by JK Rowling and Warner Brother Studios (I think?) and are merely used in appreciation of the original author's incredible work.

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'**HELP ME…'**

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'**HELP ME!'**

"Ahhhh!" Hermione screamed…

…The hooded figure, the lifeless Slytherin disappearing from her vision to be replaced by the familiar surroundings of a bedroom. Shakily, Hermione inspected her nearby vicinity; her protective instincts preparing her for any unforeseen attacks which could present themselves… but as time passed the nerves gradually began to calm as she held her duvet to her chest in a moment of reprieve.

She was fine…

It had only been a dream, a terrible and terrifying dream…

"M-'Mione… what's wrong? What happened?" a nearby voice asked frantically.

Despite the pounding of her heart Hermione turned towards the unexpected voice, her tense body lessening as she took in the familiar sight of full luscious red hair shifting its way towards her framing a beautiful and distinct face. Distractedly, Hermione took in the cute freckles across the red heads cheek, the pyjamas which hung loosely around her slim body and the concerned look as Ginny approached questioningly.

"'Mione? Are you alright?" Ginny asked once more, edging closer to the older girl with a worried expression before deciding to sit down on the edge of Hermione's bed after her wordless affirmation to the idea. A comforting hand placed against her forearm in reassurance.

"It… it's nothing Gin. Just a bad dream…" Hermione breathed, sounding far more forlorn and unsure then she intended.

"That's clearly not the case Hermione, look at you." Ginny stated as she motioned towards Hermione's hand which, to her surprise, was shaking rather noticeably "That doesn't look like nothing to me."

Despite her best intentions Hermione couldn't say anything to counter Ginny's claim. Her hand, and body, continued to shake as she pondered on how best to reassure Ginny and get out of this complicated situation. Hermione knew better than anyone what kind of problems Ginny was trying to deal with, the horrors she had witnessed far too young and she couldn't force more misery into the young, impressionable girl's mind. She had to deal with this on her own. It shouldn't have been hard, in fact she always kept to herself most of the time… never revealing her fears or worries to anyone who would listen but merely keeping them in where they would not be scrutinised or force pain upon other people.

"Hermione Jean Granger," Ginny announced warningly, forcing the brunette to reluctantly meet her beautiful mocha eyes "I **am** your best friend and, for exactly that reason, I know something is bothering you. So trust me, let me help you."

Before Hermione could fully process these words she was suddenly enveloped in a pleasant embrace from the one girl who could make her heart race in such euphoria. Without waiting for permission the young red head nestled her face into the crook of Hermione's neck as she breathed rhythmically, the hairs on Hermione's neck bristling at the sudden yet welcomed contact.

In some part of Hermione's mind she realised that the contact was not intimate and did not hint at any underlying sign of affection but instead she knew the embrace meant so much more… it was a sign of security, protection. Something which had been denied her for many years ever since The Dark Lord's attempted ascension and something which she had missed without ever meaning to.

Not letting this chance slip her by, Hermione completed the hug; her arms taking little time in circling around the slim waist of her best friend, a subtle sigh of contentment passing her lips as she felt Ginny tighten her hold around her shoulders. Sweet words floating from Ginny's lip as they were whispered into her ear meant to reassure and support rather than make Hermione's unrequited love feel far more tangible.

"Everything will be okay 'Mione. I will always be here for you and I want to help… the same way you helped me," Ginny whispered leaning out of the embrace slightly, her arms still holding the beautiful brunette, so that she could look Hermione in the eye "You've been there for me since the very beginning. You were the one who comforted me when I needed someone and you were the one who supported me when I was too afraid to ask for it. So please 'Mione… tell me what's wrong?"

Hermione wanted to tell Ginny, she really did, it would have made things far easier but for some reason a small part of her kept her quiet. She didn't understand why she would keep such a thing away from Ginny but in the recesses of her mind, Hermione knew that this dream was somehow very important.

So, rather than confide in her best friend of seven years; Hermione came up with the most plausible excuse for her behaviour. Lying was something Hermione despised in other people, and she would usually call people out on this when the need arose, but on this occasion she needed to convince Ginny; and she was prepared to do anything to keep Ginny happy... Even break the rules if she had to whether societies or worse; her own.

"It… It was nothing Ginny. Just memories of things I'd rather forget," Hermione stated sadly, memories of the war still fresh in her mind, a war that had claimed so many lives. It was only when Hermione looked up at Ginny that she realised her mistake; the war wasn't something you should bring up when loved ones are lost and the concern on Ginny's face was heart-breaking. After all, only Ginny knew of Hermione's most painful loss… something which was unknown to all but the two occupants within Ginny's room.

Before Ginny could console her further, Hermione spoke up "It's fine… really. I've made peace with what happened." Hermione said, a small smile reaching her lips as she cupped the side of Ginny's cheek and wrapped her in one last hug. "The war was won, good defeated evil… There's nothing left to say. I won't let old wounds fester, better to remember them as they were then what became of them."

"Hermione, please…" Ginny stated, tears of despair making their way towards her eyes "You can't lie to me about this. I know how this war affected you and… its aftermaths even more so. But Hermione… please listen to me… their deaths weren't your fault." Ginny stated; her forehead coming into contact with Hermione's as she placed her hands to either side of Hermione's face. "You did everything to ensure their safety… "

"Then why are they dead" Hermione shouted despairingly, the force surprising both girls' as Hermione watched Ginny's expression become more saddened, a resemblance perhaps of her own features when Ginny had been the one to vent her grief. "I'm sorry, it's just I-I wasn't prepared for it. I thought I had something to go back to… but even that was taken away from me. But I've still got you Ginny."

After these words Ginny's demeanour began to brighten considerably, a smile crossing her lips as she spoke. "Hermione, I will always be by your side. But I won't be the only one… Harry will be there, Ron and my family will be there; not to mention the rest of the known wizarding world. They owe you their lives. So, don't think for a second that you're alone in this… You have friends who are willing to protect you, but most importantly you have me." Ginny stated importantly, a warm glint in the red head's eyes as she portrayed a pose of superiority.

It didn't take long for Hermione to let out a burst of laughter. Even in her darkest moments Ginny was the one to lead her towards the light, she didn't know how Ginny managed to accomplish it but it was one of many reasons why she had come to fall hopelessly in love with the young red head. Smiling, Hermione felt her hand become encased by both of Ginny's; her head resting against Hermione's shoulder as they looked out the window and watched the star lit sky which could only ever be viewed within the countryside.

"So," Ginny mumbled loudly her eyes fixed on the sky above ", are you ready for your last year of Hogwarts?"

"Almost, I can't believe it's been rebuilt after such little time." Hermione mentioned, remembering the entire school's efforts in returning the school to its previous glory. "3 months ago we were all under death eater occupation. So much has changed… but I'm glad to return to Hogwarts, to the familiar. I never really did get a chance to say goodbye; I'll be more than happy to rectify that little mistake."

"Agreed, I'm just happy that we'll get the chance to leave Hogwarts together. We'll be in the same year Hermione, aren't you excited?" Ginny said excitedly, Hermione's eyes watching Ginny all the while. Every breath, every excited exclamation, every wistful memory (and future) that crossed Ginny's mind.

She really is beautiful…

"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it. It'll be good to see some familiar faces again, see old class mates and friends. Not to mention the others, Harry and Ron will be returning remember, so we won't be completely alone." Hermione reminded Ginny, who looked playfully outraged as cutely poked the side of Hermione's torso.

"Who cares about those guys, what about me? You'll be happy to see me again won't you?" Ginny stated dramatically, her playful attitude cutting Hermione's previously sour expression. See really was something, and Hermione wouldn't have had it any other way.

"I don't know Ginny. I think I've grown tired of you, In fact I'd rather avoid you from this moment on" Hermione retorted, playfulness exuding from her as she watched Ginny's eyes grow wide before a light smack was delivered to her forearm.

"You little… I'll get you for that."

… Maybe things were looking up

That's what Hermione thought as Ginny wrestled her to the ground, tossing and turning as excitable squeals left the pair who were laughing all the while. They were finally doings things that normal teenage girl's did, seven years too late but a seven years that was worth the wait.

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"Wait isn't that…?"

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"What's she doing here…?"

These were the word emanating from around platform nine and three quarters. The densely populated area, made up mostly of students, were directing their words towards an ever growing chasm; at the centre a lone student dressed in green robes who had been pointedly ignoring the angry looks and derogatory remarks from students who passed her by. Their words becoming increasingly resentful the longer she ignored their snide comments.

Not that Pansy Parkinson cared. It had been like this since the moment she had walked through the invisible barrier to platform nine and three quarters, and she had ignored it from the very start. The verbal abuse was nothing new to Pansy she had been on the receiving end of these hurtful words (and many more) since the day the Slytherin students had been evacuated from Hogwarts.

This was why she didn't particularly care for their words, be they Gryffindor or Raven claw, because as has been mentioned before she had suffered far worse prior to and after the final battle of Hogwarts.

She had been labelled a Lord Voldermort sympathizer despite the notable lack of evidence. All it took was one mistake, one rash moment of hope, the day she voiced her belief that Harry should be taken to the Dark Lord. She had not said this within the confines of her (friends?) but instead to the entire school who had been regrouping after the death eater's attack. It had been a rash decision for reasons which were only obvious to herself but it seemed as if someone had told the Daily Prophet because one week later it had been covered in great and fabricated detail, this article resulted in a lot of things; her ill treatment and a belief that she was the last remaining supporter of he-who-must-not-be -named.

What chance did she have…?

After all, most people will believe anything which is written on paper…

Pansy's situation was not the only thing which had been thoroughly covered in the Daily Prophet. Once you read through all the Harry Potter saviour pieces, the tributes and written appreciation from fans directed towards the golden trio and the obnoxious, often vomit inducing, superiority propaganda; you read the list of known and deceased Death Eaters who encompassed 7 pages within.

All known Death Eaters were either dead or locked up in Azkaban. It's important to know, that in the last uprising the Ministry had offered plea bargains to anyone suspected of unintentionally helping the Dark Lord (at the time many had been convinced that they had done no wrong and were being controlled through magic) as long as they offered names of important figures within the Dark lord's closest circle… however on this occasion no plea bargain would be forthcoming, only the choice of death or Azkaban. Ministry law had been forgotten and the sentences were merely up to the whims of emotionally compromised people who could not tell friend from foe.

The list of deaths was long and comprehensive; many notable names littered the Daily Prophet's most read section. Names such as Bellatrix Lestrange, Fenrir Greyback and most significant of all The Dark Lord himself; Lord Voldermort. The names of the deceased had obviously not been enough for the readers because interviews, names of the "heroes" and the method to their deaths were also presented next to the Death Eater's name. Their deaths examined, glorified and after enough time had passed mocked in the comedy section of the Daily Prophet.

The only known Death Eater who had not been killed or sent to Azkaban was one Draco Malfoy, not only had he escaped sanction or negative publicity from the Prophet but he had been offered freedom and unaccountability, he would even be attending his final year at Hogwarts. The reason for such kindness was down to one man; the much loved and saviour of the known 'fucking' world, Harry Potter.

And Draco's freedom had been granted by a misinterpreted, apparently falsified, interview with the highly renowned Rita Skeeter. An interview where Harry Potter had supposedly insinuated that 'Draco should not be forgiven for his part in the resurgence of the Death Eaters' but as soon as that article had entered the news waves and the wizarding folk had collected their pitch forks; Harry, on the very same day as the interview, went out on record in Malfoy's defence; showing the actual recording of their conversation which had been omitted by Rita Skeeter. Suffice it to say that Rita Skeeter felt the ire of Harry growing supporters, her articles losing more and more readers as time went by.

And just like that Draco had been painted as the unfortunate victim of family pressure and she, Pansy Parkinson, became the public face of negativity and disgust; taking the hits in Draco's place. Through Harry's actions, Pansy Parkinson had been made the unintended yet necessary scape goat since Draco had been thoroughly protected by his former enemy.

While there was much sadness in Pansy's life there was at least one thing that gave her life a new outlook and rather sinisterly that was the death of Fenrir Greyback; the man who had threatened her life and virtue on more than one occasion. Many people would find it strange that Pansy would celebrate that monster's death just as eagerly as others did but of course they did not know of his demonic intentions for her; and they would never know not because Pansy wouldn't tell them but because they wouldn't have cared.

Unfortunately that was the only happiness Pansy could find in her life because everything else had been taken away from her; everything she valued gone. On the first day back from Hogwarts, and the day after the horrendous article in the Prophet, Pansy had been evicted from not only the Malfoy estate but from her own home too. A home which was now hers by right, it was legally obligated to be under her care now that her family were gone, but it was instead used to housing displaced families and other such unfortunate people.

Without warning or even a chance of consultation; Pansy Parkinson was thrown from her home and out onto the street. She had even stayed within the wizarding world for a time but eventually she was forced to reluctantly leave; frequent attacks (both verbal and physical) had been sustained to her body from people of her age and most surprisingly from people who were old another to be her father or grandfather. She never registered this pain of course because it was nothing compared to the pain she felt when Draco put his hands on her.

After almost succumbing to her injuries in St Mongo's, Pansy fled from the wizarding world and to the safety and seclusion of the muggle one. Nobody knew her here and she was safe from the assaults and other nefarious treatments they wished to force her into, she was friendless, alone and scared but she was safe and right now that was all Pansy desired; safety.

That didn't mean she disconnected herself from the wizarding world, oh no, she still saw copies of the Daily Prophet from time to time; often appearing in nearby bins or down shady ally's where the 'collector's' resided. But every single time she got a hand on that repulsive newspaper she would rip it apart piece by piece because each article was the same; endless pandering to Hermione Granger, Ronald Weasley and Harry Potter the so called Golden trio and saviours of our time.

Pansy's hatred and envy towards the courageous trio was all that kept her alive; the endless tributes, the photos of lifeless Death Eater's presented to her at every turn whether they were graphic or not and the continued fabrications which concerned her own activities. According to the Prophet 'Pansy Parkinson' had gone into hiding, they were right but not in the way they imagined.

Life for Pansy gradually became more familiar but that familiarity would eventually be tested when she returned to the wizarding world. In her last attempt to reclaim what was rightfully hers, Pansy returned to the wizarding world waiting for the day when she would be interviewed by the Auror's who were still arranging an appropriate meeting time and place. But as they waited, and concerned themselves with far more pressing matters, word of Pansy's returned spread. And this time Pansy was not so lucky.

It was long before they found her and their treatment of her was no different than before, obviously time did not heal all wounds. Sometimes she was verbally assaulted and other times, although these were undoubtedly few and far between, she had almost been sexually assaulted. Being forced to live on the street often left you susceptible to the groups of drunks who wondered around the deserted tavern where she now resided, not in the tavern itself of course but rather than dump and trash area around the back. It was only when they attempted to grope her or corner her did she fight back; she was a gifted witch after all and could handle groups of drunks with increasing ease.

But there had been one occasion where she had not been so lucky and had been thoroughly outnumbered; her location apparently revealed by the barman who was tired of being associated with the Dark Lord sympathizer. The men had set upon her, some she remembered from previous encounters others new and equally unsympathetic. The struggle had been unfairly one sided and Pansy's desperate and terrified cries had echoed throughout the nearby vicinity… the only time since her childhood years that she had cried and begged for both her life and her highly prized virtue.

Thankfully, although she dare admit it, on this occasion a single person had come to her rescue and saved her from what could have been the most scaring moment of her life. But not only had this person saved her but she had also offered her a chance at redemption… a chance of fighting her way back into the society that had chased her away; and that chance was delivered in a letter, displaying the Hogwarts insignia, by the new head mistress of Hogwarts.

And that was how she had come to this very point, waiting for the train to take her to Hogwarts while students through insult after insult at her.

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Returning her focus to her present surroundings, and ignoring the growing crowd which distanced themselves as if she had some transmittable disease, Pansy noticed something off in the distance. It was very distinct and she watched it like a hawk as anger flared within every pore of her body, a crop of bushy brown hair was swaying atop the crowds of people and then she saw the figures brown eyes acknowledge her existence with a look of surprise; Hermione Granger.

There she was…

The mud-blood who had made her life a living hell…

The person who…

But she never did finish that thought or ponder on further negative things to describe Hermione because she was unexpectedly shocked into silence when an object collided with the back of her head. It was a small object, most likely a cup of some kind, which sprayed disgustingly smelly liquid from its lid and proceeded to drip down her freshly, ironed robes and soak her hair beyond reasoning. Pansy merely stared forward, not acknowledging Hermione's shocked expression as she stared at Pansy in concern.

After a moment of silence, the crowd eventually burst into uncontrollable laughter as the Slyhterin Princess, who had mocked and even personally bullied some of them, was finally getting her comeuppance. Despite her surprise, Pansy heard the unanimous laughter from the students around her; the already vast distance between herself and the students widening both figuratively and literally as the unimaginable stench spread towards the crowd.

Their cruelty didn't stop there though as another object collided with the small of her back, fresh liquid staining her clothes before it was accompanied by another and another. Pansy silently shook with every contact she felt, her knees shaking and her shoulders slagging slightly as she felt the contact and the stench becoming more pronounced. But Pansy kept her features cool never allowing the students to see her at her weakest and so, she merely looked down at her feet… knowing that something like this was going to happen. Knowing that she would receive this sort of treatment.

A few months ago, if a situation like this had ever occurred Pansy would have had the backing from a number of Slytherin students but now they were nowhere to be seen. Many Slytherin students littered the area but they all kept to themselves in a secluded area of the station as a means of avoiding the excusatory gazes which were directed at the for being a part of the house which Lord Voldermort was a part of, an obvious case of guilty through association.

Unfortunately for Pansy she was unwelcome by this group as well and was in fact blocked from entering the Slytherin side for reasons which they did not care to explain. It was obvious though, denouncing Pansy from the Slytherin group would offer them some respite from the angry remarks at challenging looks, and Pansy knew all this so she regretfully played along despite her increasing concern for her safety.

Fighting the sudden rush of tears threatening to present themselves to the crowd, Pansy continued to stare at her feet; the sight of her soaking wet and slime covered hair the only other visible thing in her vision. More words accompanied the laughter as sections of the crowd screamed painful words in their excitement, perhaps they really were this depraved, so far into their element that they were beginning to lose themselves; a result of Lord Voldermort's doing or of their own humanity, Pnasy couldn't tell.

"Give the Potter will yah, you stupid bitch!"

"How does it feel now, huh? Feel like laughing at me, calling me names?"

"This is what you get for supporting the Death Eaters, for killing our friends."

More accusatory words were thrown at Pansy until she heard a rather surprising and painful reference to her nickname being chanted again and again, the connection and memory of the day she almost lost her virginity still fresh in her mind as they chanted the words which affected Pansy to such a terrible degree.

"Slytherin's Whore!"

"Slytherin's Whore!"

This was all too much; she expected a reaction to her unexpected appearance but nothing like this. Many former and current Slytherin students had smartly decided to remain home and away from Hogwarts for fear of being branded a He-who-must-not-be-named sympathiser. But Pansy didn't. She wanted to but unlike other rich and prestigious families she couldn't afford to. Her parents were either dead or in Azkaban, she didn't really care to know one way or the other, and her family was only rich because of their association to the Malfoy family.

The truth was that Pansy Parkinson, the formerly named Slytherin Princess, needed to find employment badly in order to stand any hope of avoiding her previous existence where she had been assaulted in more ways than one and where the only future was an unmarked grave, where the possession's she currently carried were stripped from her body as well as anything else the individual might wish to take. She had no choice; this was in the very real term a matter of life and death.

This was why she took their abuses without a single word; for fear that any sign of conflict would result in her expulsion. It was Pansy's belief that If the abuse was one sided then at least the students would be reprimanded for their behaviour but it was the uncertainty of her own future that kept her quiet as she feared that if she fought back the teachers within the school would push for her expulsion. She couldn't afford a single slip up, one year and she would be gone; she would just have to bear from this and take whatever punishment necessary, just like she did at the hands of the Death Eater's; was there really any difference between the two.

As she hurriedly attended to a lone tear which threatened to flow further down her cheek, Pansy noticed Draco briefly, looking heartbroken at the sight of his best and most tortured friend being treated in such a humiliating and undignified way but after a brief apologetic look he disappeared into the crowd, into the safety of the Slytherin students who still viewed him as their hero while Pansy was left to the mercy of the angry mob. Chivalrous as always.

This was it wasn't it. This was going to be her life for the next year within Hogwarts; ignored by the house that used to treasure and support every step of the way and bullied by the remaining group. Left to the mercy of people who had lost loved ones in a war they never wanted which had been forced by a man who had once been a part of Slytherin. This was going to be her life, so be it…

"That is enough!"

Unexpectedly a loud voice cut through the ugly and unnerving atmosphere, silencing the angry mob and everyone else within the nearby vicinity. Looking towards the voice nervously, Pansy's eyes suddenly widened as she watched an obviously seething Hermione Granger storming towards the commotion, towards Pansy Parkinson, before spreading her arms in front of her greatest rival so that the assault would die immediately, which it did.

"How dare you! How dare you treat someone like this!" Hermione screamed, as many faces within the crowd began to grow pale as they viewed a side that most knew little about.

Despite the atmosphere, Pansy could do nothing more than watch as Hermione, Hermione 'bloody' Granger, defended her from the assault. As Pansy watched her, Hermione meanwhile stood resolute staring angrily at every, and all, students who had been a part of this appealing situation. Her arms defending Pansy from further attack as well as a sign of her allegiance in this battle which took the crowd completely by surprise; after all she was protecting the one person who was a known Voldermort lover.

"You are no better than the Death Eater's! Only they would treat someone in such an undignified way." Hermione remarked furiously, the crowd gasping in horror at the implication of her words as they began to grow smaller and smaller under Hermione's angry rebuttal.

"What gives you the right to bully Pansy in this way, you have no proof only your misery and a need to make someone pay for what happened. And you know what that's exactly how the Death Eater's started, blaming muggles for their own misfortunes."

This was unbelievable, Hermione was not only protecting Pansy but for reason which made no sense dressing down the crowd that even now support and owed their lives to her. And yet Hermione stood up for her, Pansy, why? This made no sense, why would Hermione risk everything to protect her?

"Now… Now wait just a minute…" A nervous 6 year mumbled, Hermione's eyes fixing him with renewed anger because as we all know Hermione despises people who interrupted her mid flow and now was no different.

"Don't 'just a minute' me. Look what you've done to her; a fellow student…" Hermione motioned towards Pansy who quickly directed her eyes to her feet under the unexpected inspection "At times like these we need to come together and build a future where we can all co-exist. We shouldn't be thinking of fresh wounds and yet all of you here today have done nothing bully a student who had no proven affiliation with Lord Voldermort."

Many gasps emerged at the mention of the Dark Lord's name, including Pansy who gasped louder than many others within the densely packed crowd. It seemed even after his permanent end people still feared the use of his name, a fear to acknowledge what had destroyed so many lives.

It wasn't long before another voice piped up, female by tone but light and most likely belonging to one of the younger students which was further evidenced by the fact that the girl in question could not be seen but could be heard. "What do you mean 'no proven affiliation'? We already know she's a supporter of Lord V… He-who-must-not-be-named."

"Oh really, what proof do you have of this?" Hermione asked.

After such a simple question the crowd looked at one another in question expecting someone to speak and explain the situation. The answer was so obvious to the students but for some reason not a single student could bring up a counter argument, so they remained silent praying that someone would speak up in their place. But when one person finally found the courage to speak the quickly wished they hadn't because Hermione had not only been waiting for that reply but had a retort fresh in her mind.

"T-the Daily Prophet…"

When mumbled affirmation, from the crowd, greeted these words Hermione stepped forward.

"I see, do all of you believe the same thing?" Hermione asked the silent crowded who began to pipe up in affirmation, not believing that Hermione could have a retort to counter their claims, how wrong they were.

"Is it because you read it in the Daily Prophet? A newspaper which branded both myself, Ron and Harry as criminals? The same newspaper which fabricated a story about Draco Malfoy and how Harry called for his head? Is that the newspaper you are all referring too, hm?"

The crows remained silent before Hermione unable to say a single thing, all looking anywhere but at Hermione who lowered her protective stance knowing full well that this fight was already won.

"Don't believe everything you read in that awful Newspaper. Show some independence and decide for yourselves, don't let a biased journalist decide for you. Are you really all so close minded that you will believe anything you're told?"

Suddenly remembering her reason for being there Hermione straightened up and made one last comment to the silent crowd who listened despite feeling slight animosity towards the woman who had saved not only themselves but their families too.

"… Now listen to me very carefully. If Pansy is harmed in any way then you will have me answer to, do you understand?" Hermione questioned looking at each individual within the group sternly in the eye.

Eventually, and with mumbled affirmation and several half-hearted apologies, the crowd dispersed leaving both Hermione and Pansy alone for the first time. Thankfully a nearby distraction saved the two from talking to each other as the roar of the Hogwarts's express came closer and closer to the station, it was only when Hermione attempted to brush off some green slime from her shoulder that Pansy flinched and brushed her hand away as quickly as possible.

"Get off me you filthy mud-blood…"

The words came out before she could stop herself but even then she didn't care. One act of heroism wasn't enough for Pansy. After all, Hermione was everything Pansy wanted to be; she was loved, supported, intelligent and the most likely out of any student to live a fulfilling and rich life. Why did she have to be so perfect? To show pity on her, Pansy, when she neither asked nor demanded it. She hated Hermione with an intensity which couldn't be matched by either Harry or Ron; it was clear out of everyone she knew Hermione was the one she detested the most.

"You have a funny way of thanking someone." Hermione remarked angrily, focusing on Pansy who purposely ignored her, turning her attention to the approaching express train.

"I never asked for your help. So why should I thank you?"

Looking frustrated, Hermione sighed loudly but did not leave Pansy's side. She needed to make sure that Pansy wouldn't be harassed by any other students although she had feeling that nobody would mess with her from the concerned looks she was getting.

"Because I helped you. Did they not teach you manners in your family?"

This sudden tone caught Pansy completely by surprise but she still turned to face Hermione in challenge, both students glaring at one another with the same frustrated expression reflected by the other.

"Excuse me? Who do you think you're talking to?" Pansy stated, squaring up to Hermione who did not back down or flinch. It had been Pansy's plan to avoid incidents like this but when it came to Hermione, the perfect honourable Gryffindor bitch, all sense seemed to fly out the window faster than the nimbus 2000.

"And in any case why would I thank you? Do you seek gratification, is that what you want?"

"No, just some acknowledgement would be nice…" Hermione replied, returning her attention to the now stationed Express which began to open its doors.

Pansy, meanwhile, continued to look at Hermione in anger despite the brunette's notable disinterest to her challenging glare. It was at this point in time that Pansy had had enough and she was going to get out of this situation with her dignity intact.

"You know what… never mind, you're not worth my time. I'll see you in school." And with that Pansy purposely barged past Hermione and into the Hogwarts Express.

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Author's Notes:

This chapter, as well as previous chapters, will be improved once I acquire a beta reader... I would be grateful for any help offered.

I would also be grateful for any input that you might have whether positive or negative. I welcome constructive criticism as I want to improve as a writer although I will admit that my effort in this chapter waivered off near the end.

I'm still not sure about the longevity of this story but after the 5th chapter I will make a decision on whether to continue this story or not. I don't have much time to myself anymore due to my work and coaching so I will have to carefully consider all options and if it doesn't feel worthwhile I will have to stop. But for now I'm content with the story and its following so we'll have to see, no promises.

Well I hope you enjoyed this chapter and will offer your insight, until next time…

Goodbye

:D

Thank you to the following readers, and Responses:

: Thank you for yet another review Hope you enjoyed this chapter and I'm glad to hear that you got the hint about Pansy's condition… as for the 'vision' more will make sense in due time.

Hollowmist : Thank you very much for the kind review, and I hope you find this chapter equally interesting.

Bayview : Apologizes for the late publication but I've had a lot of work to do in the last couple of weeks, and Empty Places had to take priority in my writing due to the fans insistence that I update a new chapter. The relationship between Hermione and Pansy will grow at a steady rate and this is merely the first interaction between the two, you'll understand more about the concept of this story in later chapters.


	4. Chapter 4: A Serpent Un-Skinned

Harry Potter

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A Serpent's Lament

By Miracles79

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Chapter 4: A Serpent Un-Skinned

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The characters used in this Fan Fic are owned by JK Rowling and Warner Brother Studios (I think?) and are merely used in appreciation of the original author's incredible work. I own nothing apart from the story contained within these words, if that.

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In the urban countryside, amongst the plain fields and beautiful meadows, the Hogwarts express chugged its way towards its only possible destination. Excitable first years preparing for lives which would change them irrevocably. Unaware of their newest fortunes, the first years talked animatedly with one another, gazing at their surroundings with intrigue and awe; partaking in the first stages of ever lasting friendships and watching in amazement as older students passed with pets of different species and sizes.

Further down and away from the bustling first years, a crop of bushy brown hair exited the furthest compartment; waving goodbye to the other heads of house as she awaited her boyfriends delayed exit. Stepping out rather gingerly Ron Weasley, the fortunate partner of such a blossoming beauty, took Hermione's hand in his… Hermione grimacing slightly at the overtly tender act.

However with time Hermione's face began to brighten, not because of Ron's proximity however, rather the intrigued young faces which leaned out of their compartments eyeing her in adoration and curiosity. How could you not smile when first years sighed in such admiration? Young girls watching Hermione's every movement, she was after all their role model and shining example. Of course being the adorable bundles of joy that they were, the moment Hermione attempted to greet them they would inexplicably turn and run away when approached.

Sooooo cute…

In a moment of reflection Hermione pondered on whether she was ever that young, adorable and insatiably curious for all things new? Well, the last one most assuredly but she highly doubted that the former statements were at all possible. After all, to Hermione she was not herself a remarkably beautiful woman… that particular honour would go to Ginny, at least in Hermione's mind. And even if it didn't, Hermione had never even considered herself attractive. Clever, resourceful and diligent no doubt but beauty was something which Hermione believed she had no claim to.

As the two wondered towards their compartment, Ron continued to grimace with every young face which analysed his every movement. The growing curiosity and intrigue directed towards him was just embarrassing to the red heads mind, he did not welcome this kind of adoration.

"This is just creepy!" Ron mumbled, second years retreating as they viewed the supposed 'golden couple.'

"What do you mean?"

"These… these kids," Ron stuttered, pointing a finger towards the now closed compartment, "do they have to stare so much?"

With this Hermione couldn't help but giggle, Ron's bemusement increasing as Hermione attempted to breath in as much air as possible. Of course it didn't help when she could overhear the many muffled whispers coming from the closed compartments, their voices carrying due to their excitement.

"_Did you see them… did you see them?" _one student whispered excitedly.

"_Yeah, they were right outside our door, can you imagine?"_

"_I can't believe we saw them… did you see Hermione Granger?"_

"_She's soooo cute…"_

"_I know what you mean, I hope I can become that beautiful."_

Of course, what didn't help matters is that the people who whispered such unlikely compliments where young girls hoping to follow in her footsteps. Suddenly courage, brains and adaptability had become the new 'it' and Hermione had such things in bucket loads. Hermione could not quite understand her new popularity amongst the younger years but as the new head girl of Hogwarts she welcomed the attention… she would be the example to all younger years rather than people who merely gossiped about fashion and never amounted to anything.

"I'm actually quite surprised by you Ron." Hermione chuckled, looking in his direction as he ignored the newest pair of eyes that watched him intently.

After several moments Ron finally registered Hermione's words, he was really thrown off by this attention. Who could blame the man? For years he had been nothing more than Harry Potter's best friend and now suddenly he had a name 'Ron Weasley' and people were whispering it like they had whispered Harry's years ago.

"How so?" Ron mumbled.

"I just thought you would love this kind of attention." Hermione replied.

Laughing to himself, Ron faced Hermione again. "R-really? I can't stand it. It's suffocating, am I the only one who feels unnerved by all this?" Scoffing Ron nervously continued, "I wish they would stop staring at me."

"Well, now you know how Harry must have felt like for all those years."

This seemed to rouse Ron who could only laugh, slightly hysterically, at the sudden realisation. Ron had always felt a little jealous of Harry's fame and recognition but now, now that he had experienced such a thing, Harry could have his damn popularity back.

"Y-You know what, I think you may be right!" Ron laughed, trying to look as dignified as possible under Hermione's scrutinising gaze "Hey, hey I'm sorry… But you know what; I can't say I envy the man. He deserves all the praise he can get."

Nodding, her eyes beginning to waver from their previous happiness, Hermione retreated into silence. It was always like this, Hermione would always get swept away in the moment, view Ron as nothing more than a close and amusing friend, only to be awakened by the irrefutable fact. Ronald Weasley, her kind and treasured friend, was no longer the latter; He was now her boyfriend. She was together with a man who had proven his love to her and yet Hermione could not feel anything other than a burning desire for friendship.

"But still…" Ron continued, Hermione snapping to attention for fear of offending Ron further than she already had, even though he was not to know of that. "I do kinda wish that we had gotten a bigger mention, all the articles have either been about Harry or all of the people that died under Death Eater occupation. I just wish we could have been viewed equally… I suppose…"

Noticing Ron's silent contemplation, Hermione squeezed his hand a little tighter. No doubt memories of Fred were affecting him still, she could see it in his expression no matter how badly he tried to hide it… pretend it wasn't even there.

"We played our part Ron, and a significant part at that. But you see…to the wider community we would have always been viewed as a side act, an accompanying act," Hermione said, honesty ringing in her voice as she faced Ron's dour expression, "Compared to Harry we performed task which would have seemed unimaginable, implausible. We played a part Ron… that was all we needed to do and that's all anyone needs to know."

Sighing dramatically, Hermione was right after all, she was always right, Ron stopped in the middle of the corridor and turned to face the confused brunette. "I know, your right… you're always right," Ron smiled, Hermione's own wavering slightly due to a nickname which still cut deep despite its very true nature. "And after all, look what we got out of it."

With this Ron raised there connected hands to eye level, Ron's smiling and relieved face being partly blocked by his smooth skinned hand. He really was a gentleman. A bit slow and often quick to temper but if you gave him enough time and really took your time to understand Ron as he truly was, then you would find a strong man with a heart of gold.

But Hermione remained unmoved…

No matter what he did, no matter how many romantic phrases he used or performed…?

Hermione could never love him like he deserved…

Or love him at all for that matter, which was why her face paled and she looked away slightly from his eagerly awaiting eyes. Flattery was the reason why, Ron believed. But pain and regret were the real reasons. Reasons she could not share for fear of losing a man who had still not recovered from the war and the loss of his brother.

"Y-yeah," Hermione stuttered, her eyes watering slightly in remorse, "Things… worked out pretty well, didn't they?"

This was all a deception, a cruel and immoral act. Hermione knew this but what else could she do, she couldn't allow Ron to suffer. If she broke up with him Ron would be heartbroken. He would retreat from her; suffer alone and away from a person who would help him unconditionally. He was her most wonderful friend. She would want to help him get over this but knowing that she, Hermione, was the one who had caused his grief would have been too much.

There were enough scars on Ron's body; she didn't need to open a new one…

But little did she realise that a scar was forming on her own worn and battered body, a scar more painful than physical damage. A scar that would fester and bleed the longer she was to be known as Ron's girlfriend.

…

She should have been happy, no less overjoyed that they had all come out of this war relatively unscathed; in the case of the Golden trio. But inside she felt hollow, worn and just so very tired. They all did, war had taught them a valuable lesson. One they prayed would never be repeated or instigated in their lifetime, they had seen far too much and far too young.

But Hermione faced another kind of war in her own right…

A war of attrition almost, a war that had been waged in her own mind which threatened to consume her completely…

But any time she kissed Ron, or they embraced within the Weasley's newly thatched roof, Hermione felt herself die a little more each time. When Ron kissed her Hermione tried her best to reciprocate the feeling Ron was aiming for but no matter how fewer times they shared in the act, she could do nothing but inwardly grimace and wish for it to be over. Thankfully they never kissed for long and had not been together long enough to progress from just simple kissing, not even intimate petting. But Hermione feared the day when Ron would want more because she would have to reject him for her own sanity, she could never partake in something which would threaten her own wishes. She had allowed Ron to take her first kiss, a guilty conscience could make a girl do things they never wanted, but there was a limit to how much Hermione would allow.

While Ron was a dependable friend and a kind hearted person, this did not make him a satisfactory lover or a talented kisser for that matter. It wasn't entirely his fault though, the thought was most certainly there but the execution lacked a little… gentleness. When they kissed it was almost like Ron was so overcome with love that he didn't know what to do, blinded to Hermione's grimaces as he eagerly searched the moistness of Hermione's mouth.

Despite Hermione's many attempts to distance herself from even the slightest possibility of a romantic kiss, it would always inevitably end in a lip lock which was not only messy but also thoroughly distasteful.

Ron was perhaps overly affectionate in his rather one sided experimentation. But thankfully, for Hermione at least, they hadn't been able to kiss for a long while due to Hermione's insistence that she needed time. Time to get use to their new bond, time to mourn the loses she still felt to this day and time which she prayed would result in Ron's affections being drawn to another woman. She did not say the last part to Ron of course, and while he was annoyed by this agreement there was very little he could do. If they were to be in a relationship then Ron knew she had to give Hermione time, but he didn't fully comprehend the reasons why and in some ways Hermione wishes he had.

* * *

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.

.

Continuing on their journey down the sparsely packed corridor, Ron and Hermione finally reached their intended compartment. Laughter and familiar voices reaching their ears as Ron turned the nob to the nearby door, the sound amplifying and introducing friends who regarded them with both happiness and interest.

"There you two are, I was wondering where you'd gone." Harry said, hiding his cards from a clearly curious Neville Longbottom who had been attempting to use the distraction in a rather un-sportsman like manner.

"Yes, I had wondered if the Blibbering Humdinger had caught your eye… oh, there it is again." Luna said dreamily, her eyes slightly unfocused as she stared through the window taking in a sight only she could see.

Drawn by the laughter emanating from beside Luna, nearest the window, Hermione could only smile in euphoria as she took in her secret crush. Ginerva Weasley. Eyes turning towards her, Ginny smiled leisurely her posture seemingly slouched as she had been watching the card game with evident interest. Hermione's breath, her heart and even her sense were stolen in that moment but as the purveyor of secrets and lies Hermione hid her momentary indiscretion well, no one would ever know about her feelings for the youngest Weasley not even the one in question.

As Ron moved past her and towards the last remaining seat, Hermione finally realised something… that was the last remaining seat!

But despite this Ron continued unabated, completely unaware of this unavoidable fact as he instead crossed the threshold and slumped into the seat his eyes watching the card game which had apparently stopped for reasons he could not understand. Not only was he unaware of the sudden stoppage to the card game but he was also oblivious to the scathing glare which was being directed at him by both Ginny and also rather surprisingly Hermione.

After a few rather discreet nudges, bordering on painfully embarrassing, Harry managed to gain Ron's attention. Ron merely scowling at the continued interruptions into his peaceful relaxation, muttering to Harry about leaving him alone and bothering someone else. But as Harry motioned towards Hermione, who still stood still at the door, Ron practically bolted upright; smacking his head against the racks up above which fell to greet him personally.

This accident, coupled with the arched eye brow from Ginny, finally roused the flushed red head once again. The entire room stared at him, pleading for him to understand the situation and further more do the right and honourable thing. Thankfully, and rather surprisingly, it took Ron very little time to connect the dots; especially since Hermione was still staring at him in a very foreboding manner.

But being the nervous and tired boyfriend that he unfortunately was, Ron did the only thing he could think of. With an expectant and unabashed look, Ronald 'oblivious' Weasley patted his lap; motioning for Hermione as if she was a dog, even though he would never mean to do such a hurtful thing. But like I said before, Ron and embarrassment led to unpleasant things.

"You have got to be kidding." Ginny mumbled, rubbing her temple in exasperation. In the smallest recesses of her mind a little voice added to her voiced concern, a voice she had tried to silence due to its impossible nature but one that persisted never the less…

'_She deserves so much better…'_

Hermione, with a face that gave absolutely nothing away, no emotion which could reveal her agitation, finally lifted her head and replied, "No thank you Ron, I'll go and look for another compartment… it's no trouble."

But just as Hermione was about to turn and close the door completely, Ron quickly sprang to his feet and followed her out of the compartment. The only thing that followed within the compartment was total silence. Afraid to make even the slightest of noises for fear that Hermione would see this as a sign of 'listening in on their private conversation.' For someone who was so loved, Hermione was equally feared as well.

"Wait Hermione… please stop."

Sighing as Ron stopped her progress; a hand resting gently against her shoulder, Hermione spoke. "What is it, Ron? Can't you see I'm busy?"

"I-I know…" Ron mumbled, his eyes begging for Hermione to turn and forgive him for his moment of indiscretion, "Listen… I'll go and find another compartment it really is no problem."

Walking straight past him, brushing off his hand as she went, Hermione returned to the compartment but merely opened the door motioning for him to go inside. At this expected response Ron sighed, he knew Hermione very well after all. This was all about pride and Hermione would not let hers be challenged in any way, but while she understood Hermione that did not mean he had found a solution to every problem.

"Listen Hermione…"

"Enough Ron, please…" Hermione said, putting her hand into the air to stop Ron's progress, "I am not doing this as a punishment. I am just going to talk with one of the teacher down the hall and then find a seat on this train. You have no reason to worry." Smiling, Hermione tried to put Ron at ease as well as escape from a situation she didn't even want to be in in the first place.

"No," Ron responded, "What kind of boyfriend would allow their girl to sit alone, take my seat and I'll go and find another. It really is no problem."

Within the compartment Ginny stiffened at his words, the use of 'his girl' grating on her ears as she watched Hermione's tension lessen very slightly. Without meaning to, and to the surprise of everyone within the compartment, Ginny interjected into the private conversation. Neville going so far as to forget his cards, letting them slip through his hands and to the floor where Harry eyed them discreetly, turning one over with his foot as he reshuffled his cards knowingly.

"Oi…" Ginny snapped, Ron and Hermione turning surprised by the appearance of other people, "Hermione is your 'girlfriend' she is not your 'girl' there's a HUGE difference… look it up…"

Uncomfortable silence entered the compartment, Ginny staring unashamedly at Ron who could only return the gaze with anger in his own. The two siblings were not undisposed to pointless arguments and childish fights but this had been the first time either had ever been annoyed by the other's presence. Worriedly, Hermione looked at the two realising how far she had escalated matters. It was a needless mistake but a mistake she always made. Hermione always wore her emotions on her sleeves and this time was no different.

"What did you just say?" Ron snapped, rounding on his sister without a care for the people around him.

But before things could escalate further, Hermione stepped in between the glaring pair without preamble. She would not let them fight over something so pointless, not when her boyfriend and her secret crush where about to come to blows all for the sake of something so stupid.

"Ginny, Ron…" Hermione murmured, the pair looking at her at the same time, "Please, there's no need for this argument. I mean we're having an argument over an empty chair, what is the point?"

Motioning to the chair, Hermione turned to Ron and spoke softly as she could. "Please sit. I really do need to talk with one of the teachers concerning my duties as Head Girl. I'll probably be there throughout the journey so I see no reason to fight over something which can be so easily fixed."

Relaxing slightly, Ron nodded his head. Ginny suddenly feeling apologetic for her actions which had escalated a situation she had no business interrupting. Which was why she was unsurprised when Hermione rounded on her. She may have been Hermione's best friend but that did not give Ginny the leisure of avoiding these dressing downs or the right to say whatever she wants concerning Hermione's relationships.

"Ginny, I-I understand why you were angry but what Ron said didn't faze me in the least," Hermione stated, calmness reaching her voice while her heart sunk from the look on Ginny's beautiful face, "We'll talk about this later at Hogwarts but for now I'll leave it be, okay?"

Nodding her head vigorously, Ginny mumbled her apologizes. She did not care that her friends where around her all she cared about was that Hermione registered the sincerity coming from her voice. She had overstepped a line and had to be reprimanded; Hermione was her best friend after all so she had to maintain a certain level of composure.

"I-I'm sorry Hermione… Ron. It wasn't my place… I'm sorry."

"No, you were right… And I shouldn't have shouted at you… sorry." Ron said apologetically, nodding his head in unison with Ginny as a mutual statement of apology.

…

"Alright, now that that is settled I really must be going. I'll see you all in the castle…"

But before Hermione could leave, Ginny quickly piped up, leaning out of her chair as if to stand. Her previous embarrassment momentarily forgotten as Ginny remembered her previous intentions, she was not about to let Hermione wonder through the express train without someone by her side. If it couldn't be her boyfriend then why couldn't it be her… best friend?

"Wait Hermione," Ginny started, Hermione turning at the sound of her name leaving such desirable lips, "If you needed some company, I would be more than happy to go with you. That's… um, if you would like some of course?" Ginny finished lamely.

Hermione would have gladly accepted Ginny's warm invitation on any other day, but as she looked at Ron and saw his depressed features avoiding her gaze, she knew she couldn't. How could she turn to down her boyfriend and then have the gall to walk away with her best friend? She was not a heartless woman and as such she regretfully rejected Ginny's offer.

"I'm sorry Gin but I need to talk to the teachers alone… maybe next time?"

But as she said these words, Hermione's insides started to splinter as she saw the hurt displayed in Ginny's eyes. Feeling unexpectedly frustrated with Hermione, Ginny slumped back down in her seat and turned to look through the window obviously, and visibly, hurt by the rejection. Hermione ven had a mind to take it all back but what good would that do, she had already messed things up before the year had even started.

…

Without another word from Ginny, or anyone else within the room for that matter, Hermione silently closed the door behind her and set off in whatever direction she felt like. After all, any student who had as great a knowledge as Hermione would have known that teachers never came to Hogwarts on the Express line. Only rarely did new teachers come in this fashion. The only teacher who did ever appear was at the far side of the express, placed there so if any injuries or problems were to arise she could quickly contact the appropriate people; whether that be Madam Pomfrey or the Defence Against the Dark Arts Teacher.

This was not the only problem that Hermione was faced with however. All of her close and personal friends were inside the compartment she had just closed behind her. The only people who remained were merely acquaintances or friends of a friend, so to speak. But despite this evident fact, Hermione did not let this dissuade her and she instead turned down the corridor with a new and worthy purpose… finding a goddamn seat.

But as Hermione was about to cross the Ravenclaw section of the train, she was suddenly halted by hushed whispers. The voices were coming from somewhere further along, in the space where the train's compartments finished and a large space began. Hermione did not have a good feeling about those hushed intermittent voices and normally when she had this feeling she was proven right, a rather important skill given her proximity to danger.

As she neared the sound of the intrusion, she saw a large crowd whispering amongst one another. With a mumbled spell, designed to raise the voices of those around her, and for the casters ears only, Hermione listened in on the conversation kneeling down to better hear what was going on.

"_Have you found her yet?"_

"_No, nothing yet. We've looked through all of the Slytherin chambers but haven't found her yet."_

Sighing in exasperation; the leader of this small little army he had created, around thirty men and women joining in his supposedly righteous cause, turned to face his closest neighbour and hurriedly whispered.

"_Find her; I don't care if you have to knock down every door between here and Slytherin. You find Pansy Parkinson and you bring her to me, understand?"_

"_I'll try my best but… what are you intending to do once we find her?" _

"_Simple, I want her to apologize. I want her to beg and plead for us to stop…"_

"_You mean to harm her," _The scrawny little child stuttered, the thought of violence sickening his mind.

"_No, we will not harm her. I just want her to suffer for what she did to us, that's all. So, find her and bring her to me now!"_

They were going after Pansy again, did these people never listen? But just as Hermione was about to confront this group and put a stop to their plans a sudden realisation occurred to Hermione. A rather obvious but no doubt important problem had presented itself. While the size of thirty students was rather intimidating it had not been enough to cause concern for Hermione but that was until she saw several other groups walking towards the ever growing number.

She could not shout down or order over forty students, no matter what authority she possessed. Hermione was far from a coward but more importantly she was also far from a fool; this was a battle she could not win. But then again she did not have to win it, all she had to do is let other more powerful people know of this group's worthless intentions.

And at this moment of time, the teacher who occupied the far end of the Hogwarts express was looking very inviting. There was just one slight problem however, and that was what was in between both herself and the teacher. Not only did she have to pass by Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff but more worryingly… Slytherin. Each house had their own area which they occupied ion the train. Segregated areas had become the norm between houses these days, a distance which could never be crossed no matter how long ago the indifferences had occurred.

But still a very prominent questioned remained…

Was Pansy Parkinson really worth all this effort…?

Pansy had been the girl who had welcomed her to the wizarding world with cruel jibes and unpleasant greetings. Pansy was nothing more than a bully at heart, a woman who lacked both refinement and compassion in equal measure. Why should Hermione protect her after all those years of persecution? After all those years of name calling and venom which had been spat her way?

Why…

It was simple…

This was her duty as the Head Girl of both Gryffindor and Hogwarts itself. She was supposed to set the example to younger students, and far more impressionable students at that, not to mention her position as Head Girl also meant she had to uphold the rules of the school to the letter. Not that Hermione needed this position to do just that, she was after all an honest and diligent student.

That was right she was doing this because she was Head Girl; nothing more.

It obviously had nothing to do with Hermione feeling sorry, and even a little protective of Pansy in a time where she appeared weak and without a friend. But even so that was so obviously not the case, Hermione just protected and supported Pansy because it was her duty… that was believable right?

Even in her head it didn't sound right but she didn't have time to dwell on such matters…

She had to protect Pansy before this cowardly group found her; she would not let misguided students enact their own retribution upon Pansy. She did after all; highly doubt the group's code on zero violence. It seemed like a sham to Hermione because it always easy to say but the act of following through with said promise didn't always work out.

As Hermione attempted to resolve her inner dilemma, she finally reached the Slytherin section of the train. Although was admittedly surprised by its sudden appearance. How long had she been pondering on Pansy? This was clearly getting Hermione nowhere so with a renewed purpose Hermione stepped through the door and entered the world occupied by Slytherin's slimiest. Her anxiety and awareness sharpening as she quietly walked through the house which had often referred to her in that very discourteous manner of 'Mud-Blood.'

Just when Hermione thought she could rest, she had after all, been approaching the exit to the Slytherin section of the train, the brunette heard the sudden clatter of a door being thrown angrily open. Staying rooted to the spot Hermione waited for the figures arrival and was unsurprised when she saw Draco walking out of the compartment; fury and anger in his eyes the likes of which Hermione had never seen from the blonde Slytherin.

Draco acknowledged Hermione's sudden appearance but he never seemed to care as he approached her unperturbed. He was far too pissed off to even care about the stupid 'mud-blood,' and this was further proven when he rather roughly barged past Hermione, purposely using his shoulder to force her against the wall nearest to their vicinity. At the unexpected contact Hermione released a surprised gasp, her hand rising to her shoulder which throbbed painfully. Draco showing little signs of concern or care for his brutish actions, as he merely continued to walk down the trains passage and away from Hermione who watched him with a slightly hurt expression. She had not been expecting that.

"Get out of the way, filthy 'mud-blood,'" Draco had muttered scathingly, the moment he had made contact with Hermione. It still rang within Hermione's mind and hinted at something else. Someone had clearly upset Draco? From within his own house no less?

The violent act had been a rather unpleasant surprise for Hermione because while Draco had always seen fit to bully her and remind Hermione of her muggle upbringing, he had never actually harmed her physically in any way… until now. There must have been some reason for such a sudden outburst?

* * *

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.

.

As Hermione stood up, rubbing her slightly bruised arm in the process, Hermione suddenly noticed the door Draco had just left. It was still open. Curiosity got the better of Hermione and without meaning to she proceeded towards the open door, momentarily forgetting her previous purpose. Looking inside the spacious are Hermione was surprised to see one; Pansy Parkinson, sitting alone and in notable agitation. Pansy's eyes appeared downcast, her hands gripping the bottom of her skirt as she silently fumed about something which must have concerned Draco Malfoy, was this the reason for Draco's behaviour?

Remembering her previous intentions, Hermione saw this as her chance to protect Pansy in a more adequate manner than any teacher could have presented. They were hardly likely to pester Pansy if Hermione Granger was by her side; many people had already heard Hermione's statement of intent after all. She was on Pansy's side not the angry mobs.

Hermione quickly stepped inside, closing the door behind her as she approached Pansy. Alerted by the noise, and the new presence in the room, Pansy almost sighed upon thinking it was just another Slytherin come to badger her. But once she saw Gryffindor's own Hermione Granger, Pansy jumped in place; her book falling to the floor as she looked at her greatest adversary.

Noticing the book Hermione commented, "Huh? A book? I didn't know you read Pansy."

With a slight scowl Pansy picked up the book which lay discarded at her feet and returned to her reading, leaving Hermione's questions up in the air. She would not waste her breathe on the foolish 'mud-blood.' Especially when she was so engrossed in her favourite book, **'Pride and Prejudice.'**

The irony of such a book was not lost on Hermione but she decided to remain silent, for now. She did not wish to antagonize Pansy after all that was far from her purpose.

Without another word, Hermione took a seat opposite Pansy and rather than face the uptight Slytherin; Hermione instead looked out the window and at the landscape which was shifting before her very eyes. Pansy meanwhile stiffened slightly at Hermione's close proximity, she had never been a fan of people sitting too close to her personal space… even Draco for a time. Pansy used the tense silence to regain her bearings, covertly watching Hermione who had been ignoring her ever since she sat down.

Unfortunately for Pansy, Hermione knew she was being watched by the Slytherin. As a competent reader herself Hermione knew that it did not take ten minutes to read through a single page, and yet no pages were turned or the ruffle of the bookmark which sat in the space Pansy persisted on reading.

Despite the tension between the two both parties, which was practically palpable within the air they breathed, both responded to it in very different ways. Hermione was far more composed and at ease, she had after all become used to high pressured situations and easily took it in her stride. The same could not be said for Pansy however who looked nervous and slightly agitated by the silence and not to mention Hermione's presence, her fingers tightening around the corners of the book bending it very slightly. Hermione couldn't help but scowl at the very obvious harming of property, books she never be bent after all and in Hermione's opinion they should be cared for with far more respect.

Finally having enough of this situation, Pansy slipped back into her icy exterior and began the conversation with a brand new and ill-advised confidence.

"What are you doing here, Granger?"

"I could ask you the same thing. Why are you here… alone?" Hermione asked, not taking her eyes off the scenery outside.

This particular action infuriated Pansy, her voice did very little to hide this fact, "I thought it would have been very clear. This is the Slytherin section, is it not? Why else wouldn't I be here?"

"Evading my question won't do you any good Parkinson," Hermione stated, Pansy flinching slightly at Hermione's correct interpretation of her reply, "That was not what I asked and you know it."

"I-I wanted to be alone, is that so hard to believe."

Giggling to herself, Hermione finally turned to face Pansy for the first time since there early attempts at conversation. Pansy shifted uneasily as Hermione gazed at her, or through her as Pansy suspected.

"You, the seeker of attention and recognition," Hermione sniggered, "You wanted to be alone?"

Pansy couldn't help but become embarrassed once again, Hermione could see through her with such clairvoyance. Could she hate Hermione anymore? It seemed she can. By what right did Hermione have to judge her? By what right did Hermione have to claim such things without any proof or on her own? Hermione was looking at Pansy superficially, something she had never expected from Hermione. The others students most certainly but she had always expected Hermione knew better, perhaps she was wrong after all. Maybe no one could understand her pain, the turmoil she faced to get to this point in life.

"Oh, you act as if you know me Granger. Please enlighten me?" Pansy remarked, sitting forward in her seat and motioning for Hermione to continue her analysis.

"What?" Hermione said, surprised by Pansy's outburst.

"Go on. Analyse me. You're supposed to be the smartest witch of your age, figure me out," Pansy stated, spreading her arms wide so that Hermione could get a good look at her, "I'm as plain and predictable as anyone can be. I have no remarkable features or intelligence which means I must have nothing going up there."

Pansy motioned to her head, Hermione feeling a little unsettled by this conversation. Where the hell did this come from? Pansy had never spoken to her in such an open manner, or for so long in fact. She also couldn't help herself, silently scoffing when Pansy mentioned her not so 'remarkable features.' You didn't become Slytherin princess for nothing. And there was no shadow of a doubt in Hermione's mind that Pansy was very pretty, not drop dead gorgeous but certainly on her way.

But that did not mean that Hermione felt any attraction towards Pansy. Hermione found lots of woman good looking but that did not mean she saw them as a viable romantic partner; no, that particular award would have to go to Ginny. Hermione had never been attracted to either women or men but she had been attracted to Ginny Weasley, no one else seemed to measure up… mot even Pansy.

"… What are you waiting for Granger; show me what you've got." Pansy finished, her cheeks puffing slightly from the rant which Hermione had managed to completely ignore in her thoughts about one beautiful red head, and women in general.

"Okay, Parkinson. I play your little game." Hermione teased, leaning forward to inspect Pansy's features.

Pansy immediately froze; Hermione was far too close for her liking. But she didn't move she would not show any weakness to this pompous over achiever who had acquired the fame and glory she had once dreamed of. But as she watched Hermione's admittedly beautiful features, Pansy began to flush even more noticeably… what the hell was Granger playing at?

"You're here for a reason…" Hermione trailed of still looking into Pansy's eyes, "You came from a place you can't come back from."

With these words Pansy's eyes widened, her mouth opening slightly at Hermione's correct assumption. How the hell did Hermione guess that? But rather than giving herself away Pansy quickly slipped the mask back on and returned to her expressionless self. Unafraid of whatever Hermione would throw at her next.

"You're in pain… and you hide it well behind lies and deceit. Although you do hold onto a faint hope that someone can breach the perimeter you've built around yourself." Hermione stated, Pansy sniggering as the brunette spoke in a very unkind and misleading way.

"What are you talking about Granger, now you've totally lost me?"

"Well," Hermione joked, completely at ease with Pansy's bullish behaviour, "It was worth a try. But I can tell you one thing that I know for certain, if you would like?"

"Hm? And what would that be?"

"You have misplaced courage… and are going about things in the wrong way. If you continue to show no remorse for the things lord Voldermort did then you will continue to be targeted." Hermione said, Pansy interrupting before she could finish.

"And what makes you think I don't applaud Lord Voldermort, hm?"

"It's simple. You are not the type to follow the Dark Lord; I can assure you of that." Hermione replied, confidence brewing in her words. The kind that ached and nagged Pansy to no end.

"And what makes you say that?" Pansy spat.

"I say this because I know this. You have a conscience Pansy… and you also do not fear Lord Voldermort, why else would you use his name?"

…

Suddenly Pansy realised something disturbing, not that she had been found out by Hermione or been played by the notorious Gryffindor intellect. But she realised that she had actually enjoyed it. Pansy had actually enjoyed this conversation with Hermione, it was the first intelligent conversation she had had in years. And she was not ashamed to admit that's he had lost this intellectual battle between minds. Hermione was good very good… and that was why she was now scared because she found the Gryffindor, dare she say, a pleasurable conversationalist.

Standing up, Pansy hurriedly collected her belongings (Incidentally her only belongings in the whole world) and made to leave the compartment. It was not the compartment she needed to escape from however it was Hermione who had seen right through her, a thought which terrified the young Slytherin.

But it was as Pansy started packing away her things, refusing to acknowledge Hermione's concerned gaze, that Hermione suddenly remembered something important. She had been so engrossed by their conversation that she had forgotten about the group outside, if Pansy were to leave and wander the halls she would be an open target for vengeful souls. She couldn't allow that.

But as Pansy reached the door to the compartment, Hermione reacted without thinking. Launching herself at Pansy, Hermione pinned the slender figure against the closed door… Pansy's bags falling to the ground as Hermione stared into Pansy's eyes, eyes which were mere inches from her own her body pressing against the young Slytherin who flushed under the contact. Hermione's had matured considerably, Pansy could admit this much. She had never realised that the girl she hated could have such a soft and curvaceous body but as of right now those thoughts were a far second to antipathy and wrath.

"G-get off me, now!" Pansy screamed.

Realising her predicament, and the fact that she was in the Slytherin area, Hermione quickly performed a silencing spell around the entire compartment and with one last flick of her wand the blinds closed all around her. All except one apparently which Hermione had to close by hand, Pansy stiffening as she felt Hermione's breasts press against her own. Apparently she was the only one fazed by the as Hermione had shown no signs of caring.

"W-what are you doing?" Pansy mumbled, looking at Hermione with fear.

"Keeping you silent, of course. You could bring the whole of Slytherin down on us and that is something I would rather avoid." Hermione murmured, her fingers lifting up a flap so that she could inspect the corridor. Thankfully no one had come out to investigate the scream; apparently Slytherin's really didn't care for anyone other than themselves.

"Are you…?" Pansy mumbled, attempting to escape Hermione's skin tight grip, "Are you planning to rape me?"

Stopping in her motions, Hermione stared at Pansy in shock. It didn't take long until Hermione noticed their rather intimate hold, not to mention the flushed Slytherin who seemed to be looking down at the floor, clearly embarrassed about the entire thing. But rather than be embarrassed about this entire situation, Hermione found herself far more amused by Pansy's reaction and indeed her expression which she viewed every time Pansy nervously looked up at her. This was a side Pansy had never shown Hermione, it reminded her of the first years she had seen earlier.

"Of course not, Pansy, don't be ridiculous. You shouldn't even joke about such things, it's unbecoming." Hermione chided, the slipping of Pansy's first name going unnoticed by both.

"Oh… sorry." Pansy murmured, saying pretty much anything so she could get out of this predicament.

"Never mind that right now, Pansy, I came here to warn you."

"Warn me, warn me of what?" Pansy asked, no longer fearing Hermione's proximity and instead fearing what was to come.

"There are people after you," Hermione stated, Hogwarts express finally come to a stop as it had reached its final destination, "Some students are waiting for you and I believe they intend to act the moment you step foot outside this station."

…

"So let them act." Pansy stated, the intrusion into her personal space becoming too much for her to deal with.

Without warning or explanation, Pansy pushed Hermione onto the seats that surrounded them before collecting her begs in a feverish hurry. As Hermione struggled to her feet Pansy had already left the compartment, and Hermione followed her not far behind. Suspicious followed as Hermione trailed behind Pansy who refused to acknowledge the steps which were accelerating towards her. Hermione ignoring and avoiding Slytherin students who had just left their compartments, many pointing at the Gryffindor and Pansy.

As Pansy climbed onto the platform she waited for Hermione's slightly breathless appearance and the moment Hermione appeared she raised her arms around her and said, "Look… I took a step outside and I am unharmed. Please keep your worries to people who would actually welcome them. I am not your friend Hermione nor am I your secret project… GO AWAY AND LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Following Pansy's hasty retreat Hermione said, "Wait… Parkinson, it's not like…"

But as Hermione had gained a little traction on Pansy she suddenly walked straight into her, Hermione having to regain her balance as she had not expected Pansy to stop. Slightly peeved by Pansy's actions Hermione waited for her response or further inaccurate assumptions but none came. Pansy was rigid and staring off into space. Worried, Hermione came closer looking into Pansy's face which was driven in the most palpable fear she had ever seen.

Scanning her vicinity, Hermione returned her eyes to Pansy. There had been nothing there, no reason for such a terrified reaction. Suddenly trepidation and worry cloaked Hermione's mind and she nervously placed her hand against Pansy's shoulder.

"Pansy, Pansy are you… listening to me… What's wrong…? Why won't you…"

Hermione's voice drifted away into the deepest recesses of Pansy's mind. Pansy could only look around her as young boisterous students talked excitedly amongst one another, laughing as they viewed the older students offering high fives and the like. But to Pansy also she heard was silence, everyone spoke but spoke no words… everyone moved but made no sound. This wasn't right, there should have been sound.

Echoes reverberated around her vicinity, the sound of childish laughter turning into a crude form of insanity. Eyes shining with malicious malcontent directed solely towards her despite the notable lack of it present on the figures face. Pansy perceptions had changed. She was seeing, hearing and feeling things which were not there… should not have been there.

"No, no, no… Not now. Please, not now." Pansy mumbled, her eyes looking frenzied… this couldn't be happening.

He promised. He promised this wouldn't happen so soon, the monster promised why did it lie?

At this point however Hermione became really concerned. Gripping Pansy tighter, Hermione continued to talk to her, reassuring her that everything would be okay and that all was well. But all was not well. Not for Pansy, the monster was coming back… the thing that had found her, tormented her and the thing which would never leave her side. The thing which gave her life but brought about pain was returning, why now? Why did it have to be now?

As Hermione spoke louder and louder, her voice becoming more and more worried by the second, students were drawn to Pansy's turmoil. Unfortunately Hermione's actions had brought about more eyes and more attention than Pansy would have liked but the latter was not to know of this… she was seeing things that no one could see. Her eyes glazed over in a white mist.

"Pansy, are you alright? Talk to me?" Hermione stated urgently.

But just as Hermione's voice reached Pansy's ears, Pansy turning to face Hermione's scared features, a sudden voice seemed to emit from within the air itself. A dark, blood curdling voice which sounded both worn and thoroughly demented, it was a voice which Pansy knew all too well. It meant one thing. The monster had returned.

"**Jesus loves me! This I know…"**

"No, please… not now. You promised!"

The voice sang disjointedly emerging from the oppressive darkness, as sinister and devoid of life as the figure who used it.

"**For the bible tells me so…"**

Craning her head towards where the voice originated Pansy saw him. Her monster, a hooded figure, stood within the throng of students completely unperturbed by the vast amount of wizards that surrounded him. They could not harm **him **after all, they were no threat. The other students didn't seem to notice the hooded figure or Hermione for that matter; they were completely unaware of the disfigured individual who merely watched Pansy through bloodied slits which dripped down its worn face, bone all the way through and little else.

"**Little ones to Him belong…"**

"Stop please… I-I'll do anything…"

"**There are weak…"**

"No, no, no!"

"**But He is strong!"**

And then, with the monsters last utterance, darkness pervaded her senses penetrating her being and consuming her in its unforgiving insanity. It seeped into every pore of her body, entered every orifice it could force its way through and engulfed her with ever present darkness.

Losing consciousness Pansy fell to the ground, Hermione catching her before she could fall and cause herself some real serious damage. Without a second to lose Hermione screamed for Hagrid, the young Slytherin convulsing within her arms a white ooze slipping from her parted lips… uncontrolled screams slurping with the slime which threatened drown her in an instant.

Pansy was in agony, Hermione was scared and the people that looked on… well. They backed away and left fearing the spreading of an infestation could occur. Some stayed and watched to frozen to move their limbs, first years being hurried away by concerned sixth years. Hagrid sprinting towards the screams and the sight of Pansy's convulsing body and Hermione's tear stained cheeks.

While Hagrid placed Pansy against the floor, and out of Hermione's trembling hands, Hermione turned on the remaining students. "Who did this?" But no student could answer and even in Hermione's traumatised mind she knew they weren't to blame. If Pansy had indeed been cursed the perpetrator would not have stayed to watch her suffer, unless they were a sadist of course but either way it seemed unlikely.

Returning her attention to Pansy, Hermione took out her wand and muttered a silent incantation. The wand ignited instantly and she placed the tip high up into the air before the fire was distinguished completely. It seemed, if Hermione's wand was correct, that no magic had taken place or been the cause of Pansy's discomfort. Pansy had no reason to be acting like this and yet here she lay, convulsing in fits of spasms while white goo spluttered into the air from Pansy mouth. The process beginning all over again as Pansy screamed in agony.

But just as soon as the white ooze appeared it was suddenly turning bright red, her body now convulsing at intervals as blood poured down her mouth. Then with breathless whimpers blood began to fall from Pansy's eyes, where tears used to be. She was crying a river of blood and convulsing like she was possessed but that couldn't be the case no magic had been performed. This couldn't be happening.

"Pansy!" A Slytherin student screamed from the throng of students that surrounded her.

Turning her head to face the female voice, Hermione saw Daphne Greengrass rushing towards the groaning Slytherin… tears present in her eyes as she watched Pansy spasm uncontrollably. The trip had not been easy though, many Slytherin students had tried to hold her back and keep her away but Daphne would not let that happen. She was after all Pansy's only true, female, Slytherin friend and while she did stand for isolating the poor girl that did not mean she would sit by and watch her friend suffer in unbearable agony.

"What, what happened?" Daphne cried no words of malice in her voice just a fearful question directed towards Hermione. She knew Hermione would never harm Pansy, she might have disliked the girl but she could not deny that Hermione had morals which many could never uphold.

But just as Daphne was about to place her hand on Pansy's cheeks, Hagrid quickly snatched it away and maintained her focus on the body which convulsed and bleed at an alarming rate.

"Please miss don't touch 'er!" Hagrid advised urgently, "I don't know what will appen if you touch er."

Just as Hagrid had said this, Draco was suddenly sprinting towards the scene her eyes fixed on Pansy who was showing no signs of recovering… blood slipping down her lips and forming a growing puddle beneath her. Draco watched on in horror, Daphne in grief as she finally held Pansy's which remained unresponsive and quickly jerked out of Daphne's loose grip.

"What have you done Granger?" Malfoy shouted, kneeling before Pansy and looking for any signs of stimulus. "Pansy wake up, please! S-someone get Madam Pomfrey, now!"

"It as already been dun, all we can do nah is wait." Hagrid replied, his eyes watching Pansy for any sign of imminent death.

"I… I" Pansy murmured her eyes unfocused but searching for Hermione's where ever they would be. Finally spying the familiar brown eyes, Pansy locked her eyes on them and tried again with little to no success. Hermione leaned closer, her ear becoming drenched in blood and ooze but she did not care she had suffered worse and right now Pansy was in need of help.

"Yes Pansy… what is it?"

"I-I'm …" Pansy finally breathed a gulp of fresh air and preceded with what little time she had left before she would become unconscious, like she had during her initiation. "I'm sorry… forgive me." Pansy whimpered her eyes becoming unfocused, her continuing to convulse in frequent and unexpectedly painful intervals. Shallow breaths leaving Pansy's blue lips as she struggled to keep her consciousness, the darkness was about to consume Pansy once again and she couldn't but feel scared… she didn't want to face that place again. Why did she have to go alone, why did she have to face such evil which cannot be defeated.

Shakily, Pansy's hand searched for something; for the person who could make her feel safe, supported and comfortable through one simple touch of her hand. She was no longer the woman who craved cruelty and power, no longer the image of her mother who showed no love or emotion whatsoever. She was the scared little girl who cried herself to sleep at night; the girl who was beaten by her family for being an embarrassment to the good Parkinson name.

Nervously, Pansy's hand searched but before Draco or Daphne could react to the obvious intention. Pansy's hand drifted towards Hermione and held her hand tightly in hers, Hermione returning the sentiment while ignoring the bemused looks from Daphne and Draco. Shortly after Pansy's last remaining hand drifted towards Daphne who held it in earnest while Draco smoothed Pansy's crop of dark black hair, sweat and blood staining his hand and causing him to grimace in pain.

…

The darkness was steadily approaching; a serpent was beginning to shed its skin…

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Author's Note: I hope you enjoyed this extra-long chapter; this is essentially my apology for the mistake that occurred to this story. (I.e. The stories misplacement, change of characters etc etc.) The rest is explained on my profile page but essentially it was the result of a computer error that caused my pages to duplicate and select absolutely everything on the page I was viewing.

The story is still Pansy x Hermione, the only difference is that Ginny will play a much larger role than I initially anticipated. Although Hermione x Ginny is still possible if people desire it enough, although that would change the entire complexion of the story so I would definitely advise against it.

I have also decided to continue this story no matter what; I only recently came upon a new direction for this story which can be easily incorporated it to my original plan but for this too work I would have to write a lot more which I am prepared to do… I'm a big fan of context in my stories.

The story will be finished no matter what; but reviews, followers and favourites will dictate how often this story is updated. Apologizes for this but I really have to start prioritizing stories now, my work schedule has been increased dramatically and I have very little time on the weekend. I must say, I absolutely love my plan for this story because it really will go places but if the interest is not there then I will only write when I need a break from Empty Places (Which is my biggest story).

But I assure it will be finished at some point, thank you all for your support so far and I hope you will continue to read this story and review if you deem it worthy All the best and I hope to update with a new chapter sometime within the near future, depending on the things mentioned above.

**(P.S. this chapter was written in one sitting and may have irregularities as well as poor grammar, so be warned. Also if there any beta readers out there I would be grateful for your guidance and support.)**

**(P.S 2: If there are any fans of Hermione x Ginny, as well as my writing style etc, I would defintley advise you to read my upcoming Fan fic stories. I currently have one up and more should be coming soon, I hope you enjoy them.)**


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